October 14, 2026
Exactly one year ago today, my dream came true — a dream to share gardens across the big beautiful state of Texas in one big beautiful book: Gardens of Texas: Visions of Resilience from the Lone Star State. To put the work of Texas gardeners out in the world and show off the creative, resilient, sustainable, and gorgeous spaces they’re creating.
These are gardens for pollinators and other wildlife habitat. Gardens that feed families. Gardens that subbed out thirsty turf grass for native and adapted plants that showcase the beautiful flora of the state. Gardens that are artistic expressions, with cool plant collections and memorabilia that express the lives and passions of their owners. Gardens that are real, where the gardeners have struggled with freezes, drought, heat waves, and challenging soil — where what you see is a testament to their perseverance, not some innate green thumb.
Gardens that are aspirational and gardens that are relatable. Gardens with great ideas you can take home to your own garden, no matter where you live. Gardens that express the diversity and life stories of Texans across the state.
On this one-year anniversary of Gardens of Texas, I want to express my gratitude to all the readers who bought or checked out a copy or shared it with a friend, and to everyone who took time to leave a review online. You’ve made the book a success!
I’m grateful too for the support of my wonderful publisher, Timber Press, and the visionary editorial and marketing teams who worked on the book. And thanks again to my incredibly talented photographer, Kenny Braun, who traveled thousands of miles around the state with me to capture gardens from Austin to Plano, from Edinburgh to Fort Davis, from San Antonio to Grapevine, from Houston to Alpine.
None of this could have happened without the generosity of dozens of garden owners (pictured above), who opened their homes and gardens and life stories to me. Thank you for sharing.
Since Gardens of Texas came out, some wonderful things have happened.
The book received an Honorable Mention in the 2026 American Horticultural Society Book Awards.
It was featured on PBS’s Central Texas Gardener TV show.
I was interviewed on The Beet podcast.
The book and my garden were featured on The Plant Ninja on YouTube.
And I had opportunities to share about the book and my own gardening experiences in Texas in numerous podcast and radio interviews (click the link and select “Podcasts”).
I also did a whirlwind 8-month book tour, making dozens of appearances at gardening forums, book festivals, clubs, nurseries and retail stores, and botanical gardens including San Antonio Botanical Garden, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Houston Botanic Garden, and Quinta Mazatlan. In a full-circle moment, I was even invited to do a Meet the Author event at my alma mater, Rice University, which, frankly, I never would have imagined decades ago as a graduating English major with no immediate job prospects.
Does this book have staying power?
My hope now is that Gardens of Texas will continue to be relevant, helpful, and enjoyable to readers for years to come. If you’re looking for a copy of your own, it’s available in stores everywhere — you can ask your local store to order a copy for you — and online at Amazon, Book People, Barnes & Noble, Target, Wal-Mart, Hachette, and other e-retailers.
This is a big hardback full of beautiful photos, and it makes a gorgeous gift or coffee table book, if I do say so myself. It’s also filled with practical take-home ideas and plant suggestions you can use in your own garden.
And the holidays are coming up.
I welcome your comments. Please scroll to the end of this post to leave one. If you’re reading in an email, click here to visit Digging and find the comment box at the end of each post. And hey, did someone forward this email to you, and you want to subscribe? Click here to get Digging delivered directly to your inbox!
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Digging Deeper
“Gardens of Texas is not your typical door stop/coffee table book filled with beautiful images of gardens you can never hope to achieve. The photography is definitely inspiring, but Pam’s thoughtful, detailed storytelling and “Try This At Home” features…makes one feel empowered to create similar garden magic….This is what I’ll curl up with on late August afternoons when the mercury in Austin soars and I’m stuck indoors.”
–MomInAustin, a reviewer on Amazon
Gardens of Texas: Visions of Resilience from the Lone Star State is here! It’s for anyone who loves gardens or the natural beauty of Texas. Find it on Amazon, other online book sellers, and in stores everywhere. More info here.
All material © 2026 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
