Next week is the Inside Austin Garden Tour, put on by the Travis County Master Gardeners Association and the Texas A&M Agrilife Service of Travis County. The Inside Austin Gardens Tour happens this Saturday, May 3 from 9 to 4. For $15 you can tour six gardens selected by the Travis County Master Gardeners Association. These are gardens cared for by everyday gardeners, and they all have very different feelings to them depending on the challenges met in each garden. From contemporary to cottage, from sun to shade, from flat to hillside, there are ideas for every visitor. I won’t cover garden by garden but I’ll show you some ideas that caught my eye – just a little spoonful of the many delights you can see.
First, I love the creativity of these gardens. Gardeners making bold choices with garden art, pots, bottle trees, fountains etc.
I love this idea for s succulent gutter garden to jazz up an otherwise unexciting wall. This would be fun for a “kids garden wall” as well.
Look for those bold mixtures of texture. Notice when you’re touring the gardens how mixing leaf sizes and textures catches your eye. 
Look for fun ways to upcycle – find shapes in everyday objects that can then be used in unconventional ways. I love the way this simple roof tile is used as a fun succulent container next to a fence. 
Finding ways to repeat bold touches of color help carry the eye along the garden path.
Water features are wonderful-find ways to incorporate them whether it is a simple fountain or a pond. Water adds a lot to a garden.
Finally, don’t feel like your garden has to be like everyone else. Make some bold choices that make it completely yours.
I hope you’ll find inspiration in these gardens as well. A map and all the details can be found at http://insideaustingardens.org
Kiss of Sun 