DAILY NZ P A G E 12E COLOR P U B D A T E 05-21-05 O P E R A T O R DHILDEBR D A T E // TIME:

12E SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2005 / * * * /

D

Digging up delights A C C EN T ON HOME

In a garden, any day can be a

surprise party. Look closely ON THE COVER
among the leaves, along the Clockwise from top right:
paths and little quirks reveal Turtle rock in Kumamoto En Gar-
themselves. den; cupola on the Sullivan Car-
In honor of the 25th anniver- riage House; kapok tree in the
sary of the San Antonio Botanical Lucile Halsell Conservatory; a mal-
Garden, we poked around the 33 low hibiscus; the seed of the coco
acres and harvested a delight for de mer, aka monkey butt; a jas-
each year. Horticulturist Paul Cox, mine-shrouded arbor shades the
who’s been at the garden from entrance to a cottage on Water-
the construction phase and is saver Lane; fence bordering the
now the top guy there, and Can- Japanese garden.
dace Andrews, managing director
of the San Antonio Botanical So-
MIKE HASKEY/COLUMBUS LEDGER-ENQUIRER
ciety, shared insights in the
search. Alien flora There’s a trick to finding the best placement for art collections, as
Here’s what we found, starting With its long strap- Geri Davis (left) and Jennifer Campbell of Columbus, Ga., know.
at the entrance and circling 8 like leaves, the Wel-
witschia in the Helen
through the grounds counter-
clockwise. Kleberg Desert Pavil-
ion looks like some-
thing from another planet. The
Tips keep collections
Sullivan Carriage

1
House
Designed by archi-
tect Alfred Giles and
plant, native to the Namib Des-
ert, baffles even the botanists
who try to classify it.
from looking cluttered
built in 1896, the car- Giant seed BY MARY BETH BRECKENRIDGE making a trial grouping on the
riage house was It doesn’t take an wall using photocopies of the
moved stone by stone to the gar-
dens in 1987. Now, visitors enter 9 adolescent to see the
monkey butt in the gi-
KNIGHT RIDDER

Displaying a collection of fam-

pictures in their frames and at-
taching them with low-tack
through the former coach house ant seed in the Palm
and stables. Guests can dine in ily photographs on your walls painter’s tape. It’s helpful to
and Cycad House, but
the former horse stalls of the Car- honors your heritage while add- mark off a perimeter as a guide
kids do love the spectacle. From
riage House Kitchen. the 25-pound seed sprouts a coco ing warmth to your home. and to treat the entire arrange-
de mer. The Lucile Halsell Conservatory soars above the Botanical Garden. However, what’s intended as ment as one large piece of art,
an infusion of personality can she said.
Bird’s eye view end up a mess if it’s not ar- Aim for overall symmetry, she
Follow the winding
10 path through the
palm house to a cat-
ranged artfully, said Karen
Thompson, a design expert with
Home Depot.
advised, but remember that a
little asymmetry adds interest.
Try to keep the distance be-
walk that gives a peek
at the treetops. The The first step to an effective tween frames relatively consis-
idea for the walkway came from arrangement is choosing a spot tent and the pictures no more
the botanic garden conservatory where the photos won’t be sub- than a few inches apart.
in Paris. jected to damage. Avoid direct Make sure the arrangement is
sunlight, heat sources and areas at or near the eye level from
King of the jungle
The 8-foot-long with high humidity, such as which it will be viewed most of

11 fronds on the angiop-

teris — or king fern — Ducky
The fowl at the East
bathrooms, Thompson said.
Next, choose frames and mats
that will enhance the photos
the time. Artwork should be
hung lower in an area such as a
dining room where people usu-
Pot man
The terra cotta
make it hard to miss.
And it’s still growing. 17 Texas Lake appreciate
handouts. Birders ap-
and make the collection cohe- ally are seated, and higher in an

2 guy’s ready for sum-

mer in his flip-flops,
This Australia native is primitive
among primitive ferns. preciate the variety of
waterfowl and other birds
sive. Thompson recommended
sticking with a limited selection
of similar frames, especially if
area such as a hallway where
they’re usually standing.
When you’re satisfied with
but don’t be surprised Right stuffing throughout the gardens.
The spiny trunk on you’re displaying both color and the arrangement, mark the wall
to see him decked
out for football season or show- 12 the kapok tree in the Sit a spell
The inviting porch
black-and-white photos. If you
can’t afford new frames, paint
at the middle of the top edge of
the photocopies while they’re
ing Spurs spirit.
Wisteria arbor
conservatory courtyard
conceals the plant’s
softer side. Kapok
18 on the East Texas Log
Cabin overlooks the
old ones to make them coordi-
nate. She also recommended us-
still on the wall. Measure the
distance between the top of the
Perfect for ‘I do’s,’ lake.
3 especially when it’s
dripping with fragrant
seeds yield cottonlike fiber that is
used to stuff everything from pil-
lows to life vests.
Madrone
A lone madrone
Bubbling over
The symbol-stuffed
ing wide mats in a neutral
cream color.
Now comes the creative part:
frame and the hanging mecha-
nism, either a hook or taut
wire. Hang the pictures securely
purple blooms in
spring. High point
The overlook, the
19 survived floods in
1987 that claimed
23 fountain in the Sa-
cred Garden is carved
arranging. Thompson suggested using appropriate hardware.

13 highest point inside

Loop 410, offers beau-
ing to bloom.
others. The hardy na-
tive specimen is start-
from the same Oaxa-
can granite as the
head of the plaza fountain and
INTRODUCING YOU TO CARPETS OF TEXAS
tiful panoramas of the 5703
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the large planters lining the We are in

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city. Schumacher House Kenwick
Water works The recently refur- plaza. LITTLE
$.39 SQ.FT. Northwest

14
Remnants of George
20 bished cottage, origi-
nally built in Freder-
Bubba
From a sapling res-
AS San Antonio 410

Hoja santa
Amid the many tex-
Brackenridge’s water
supply system from
the late 1800s remain
icksburg in 1849,
shows the evolution 24 cued from the Sunken
Gardens grew ‘Bubba,’
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off a bit of a large
heart-shaped leaf and take a
Little sprouts
Youngsters spend
21 tersaver Lane gives a
glimpse at a half-doz-
willow.
Mon-Sat 9-6
Appointments Available For Late or on Sunday
whiff of the root beer fragrance.
Free pass
15 Saturday mornings
tending vegetable
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Phone 680-RUGS (7847)
The San Antonio plots under the tutel-
5 Garden Center picks
up the admission tab
age of experienced
gardeners. A bonus: They eat
suited to the area. Take a close
look at the recycled glass walk-
for blind guests.
Turtle rock
their veggies. way in the cottage garden. What
sparkle. Let The Sunshine In!
The stone turtle,
6 really a cluster of
stones, looks as if he’s 16 22
SAVE
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pond in Kumamoto Texas touch
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Ants in the plants
Tucked among the
batty
For-
Making
magic
Toiling be-
25 was laying the walk-
way around the Old-
7 exotic plants in the Ex-
hibition Room of the
merly on
top of
the hill,
hind the
scenes in
Fashioned Garden, he
planted a surprise of
conservatory are greenhouses and trial gardens is his own: a piece of limestone
the ga- chipped into the shape of the
plants that play host Ying Doon Moy, the brilliant re-
zebo is patterned after a bat Lone Star State.
to ants, some of them quite ag- search horticulturist behind a
house because the city used to be — Tracy Hobson Lehmann
gressive defenders of the flora. number of papayas, gingers, roses
an epicenter of the bat popula-
Don’t worry. Only the plants are and hibiscuses bred for South Payments Start As Low As
tion. PHOTOS BY DOUG SEHRES, LISA KRANTZ
on display. Texas. AND HELEN L. MONTOYA/STAFF
For A Limited Time Only $ 149* per mo.!

Cake, music to mark Botanical Garden’s birthday 210-691-9300 or toll

free 1-866-FLORIAN
356-7426
A birthday bash spread over there will be cake for the silver $4 for children ages 3 to 13. music. Visitors can participate
two days and more than 30 acres anniversary. Gardeners will find a variety in bird and butterfly walks, and
is quite a party. And Viva Botan- The celebration runs from of plants for sale, including there will be special activities
ica is quite a party. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and herbs, orchids, day lilies, cac- for children.
The festival this year marks Sunday at the garden, 555 Fun- tuses, bonsai and drought-toler- For more information, visit www.floriansunrooms.com
the 25th anniversary of the San ston Place. ant varieties. www.sabot.org or call (210) 829- 5440 Babcock, Suite 121 100% Financing (W.A.C.)
Antonio Botanical Garden. Yes, Admission costs $8 for adults, Bands will offer a variety of 5100. Class 1 License #916019 *Call for details, restrictions apply

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DAILY NZ P A G E 12E COLOR P U B D A T E 05-21-05 O P E R A T O R DHILDEBR D A T E // TIME: