August 22 , 2023
Garden Diary of Life’s Progression: Colleen Belk
“ When I first embark on , I did n’t know really what I was doing . I just love plants , ” Colleen Belk told us when we visited on a muddy day in May , gregarious pup Jellybean at her side . Her 40 - year journeying on rocky domain in cervid country top to a new career and a garden that evolved in philosophy , design , and lifelong friendly relationship . I play Colleen when she run atBarton Springs Nursery , sky-high direct me and so many other new gardeners . get from dent on land above Lake Austin , she and married man Brad transport in edifice gardens and the deck that ’s host family and hundred of friends over the years . When Brad , an applied scientist , watched Colleen struggle with a water hosepipe after work , he designed and built a 4600 - gallon rainwater solicitation system . That barrel to the leftfield in the picture houses a caliber for what ’s flowing in . Any electric storm meant a rush to the deck of cards to whoop and holler as it inched its means up . When we first taped her garden in the late 90s , the concept of cottage gardens had been overshadow by the soldierly shrub and lawn regime for X . Colleen and I had both acquire up with yards like that , but bit by bit got away from it . At first , our dads were n’t too sure about what their daughters were up to , but soon climb up on the vaporing bandwagon!To voyage the steep drop , Colleen and Brad ramp up a stairway and finally a greenhouse . Like many of us , she started with a few plant in a small island bed . shortly she had her eye on growth opportunities . Colleen ’s ideas grow as she hopped from one nursery to another , reveling in the community of interests of plant enthusiasts . She became president of theAustin Herb Society . Then , she bring down her dream job atBarton Springs Nurserywith founding father Conrad and Bernardine Bering . “ I was given a band of plant and my paycheck did n’t always come home , ” she laughed . She started designing vignettes , like this one with native coneflower , blue Mediterranean devotee palm , and Queen Victoria agave just out of view . In 1992 , theAustin Pond Societyintroduced backyard ponds for hands - on nurseryman . Colleen worked with BSN workfellow ( and later room decorator ) Scott Thurmon to craft a realistic pond using stones and boulders from around the prop . Colleen ventured into another pattern property , one that further populated her garden with good wildlife . Various flowering industrial plant join framing anacacho orchid . The cherubic foreground flora is Eastern star sedge ( Carex radiata).At first , she used crush granite to produce paths . When someone indicate pea gravel for a bright look , she went for it . “ And it did shift the whole look of my garden , ” she say . Every wander in every time of year invites a different view in sun and shade . Braced by foliar structure , flowers derive and go against layers of leafy grain . This one features Texas sabal palm , Will Fleming yaupon holly and crepe myrtle . Brad encouraged bounds to distinguish garden spaces . BSN workfellow built a stone wall at one end , and she topped their entree with tire planters . Colleen ’s garden lies in deer country , and as much as she loves deer , she does n’t desire to share all her plants with them . fence the backyard spared blush wine and other favorite yummies . In front , she sticks with plants that are n’t so tasty . She does admit a durable Sally Holmes go up along with retama and oleander , but deer ca n’t reach its topmost flowers . At BSN , Conrad catch her hooked on plant life propagation . In the greenhouse she and Brad built , she grows up new plants from cuttings or seminal fluid . Nary a visitor leaves empty - handed!In 2020 , Colleen lost Brad to one of those unexpected circumstance that you never knew even existed . Her love stories go late with us all , and our heart and soul are with her . Since then , garden therapy ’s taken on a far deeper significance . “ I just want to garden and be here and that ’s what I ’ve been doing . ”
Visit in person on The Garden Conservancy ’s Open Days go on November 4 !
Watch her history now !
give thanks you for stopping by ! Linda
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