Monday, November 2, 2009

Alamo "Gardens"

Last week-end we headed to San Antonio to watch a little Notre Dame football.  Sunday morning was a beautiful day to stroll around the Alamo.   It had been many years since we'd last been on the grounds and have they ever been working!    Streetside of the walls are beds of palms and other tropicals.  This one contains Sago Palms (really a Cycad, not a palm), Queen Palms, Mediterranean Fan Palm, and Windmill Palm.   With the exception of the Queen, these are all pretty cold-hardy species.  The Queen, though, is fast-growing and relatively inexpensive - so replacing them after a hard winter is not so difficult. 
This young Pindo Palm, Butia capitata, is flanked by a Yucca and a Texas Mountain Laurel, Sophora secundaflora.   There are Texas Mountain Laurels all over the grounds - bet they are gorgeous in March and April! 


In front of one planting bed, they have used Asiatic Jasmine as a border.   I have never seen it used this way - but looks really nice - They must just trim it regularly.   
Some of the beds are full of desert plants and mulched with river rock. 
The grounds are shaded by large Live Oaks, Pecans and the tallest Anacua tree I have ever seen. Some of the shadelovers growing beneath these canopies are split leaf philodendron and cast iron plant.