October 06, 2026
Last month I made a road trip to Santa Fe despite being knee-deep in house projects and between visits from out-of-town friends and family. No matter, gardens called!
I blame Patrick.
Out of the blue Patrick Kirwin, a designer friend in Austin, had connected me with gardening friends in Santa Fe. “Pam will be coming to Santa Fe soon,” he told them. Wait, was I? Well, why not? It was early September, with summer fading and fall approaching. Plus, Santa Fe is only a 6-hour drive from Denver. OK, decision made!
On my first day I visited the garden of a part-time Santa Fean who prefers to be anonymous here. The garden, like most in Santa Fe’s older neighborhoods, is hidden behind an adobe wall.
Front garden
Inside, a rusty Japanese maple bends over a stone water trough as if preparing to wash up.
Morning sunlight beamed through tall pines and hardwoods, spotlighting a variegated grass and a white rose of Sharon.
Rose of Sharon
A narrow path flanked by pyramidal shrubs directs the eye to a birdbath-style fountain.
The splashing draws you in…
…to a circular path around the faux bois fountain. Water and a wide circle always make a strong focal-point moment in a garden.
Flowers bloom in pockets of sun within the shady courtyard.
A white rose
Looking back toward the adobe house
Overhead, a pine and Japanese maple embrace.
Allium stems adorn a pottery jar by the front door.
Back garden
In contrast with the intimate front garden, the back garden is expansive, yet still composed of distinct spaces. It begins with a covered porch, known in Santa Fe as a portal (pronounced por-TALL).
Here, a narrow table under a metal chandelier allows for outdoor dining.
The table overlooks the garden, which sits below the house.
Stair rail shadows — the center detail reminds me of a yucca flower.
Below is a ramada-shaded patio with an outdoor fireplace.
It’s an inviting space, accented with vintage lanterns and pots.
Abutilon, commonly called Chinese lantern or flowering maple
Low walls enclose part of the ramada and provide extra seating. Just beyond, a waterfall spilling into a small pond adds the sound of water.
Red dahlia in a black ceramic vase
The stair-stepping waterfall echoes the organic shape of the adobe home and walls.
Flowering leopard plant
A hosta in a stone planter is spotlit by the morning sun.
Pots of tall grasses underplanted with perennials make a partial scrim for a cedar soaking tub.
Another garden space opens up beyond the ramada — an oval lawn edged by a mixed border, slightly elevated behind a stone wall. Trees and shrubs along the back screen neighboring houses and add to the feeling of enclosure.
This garden is sunnier and silvery…
…with cool blues and purples too.
Tall verbena with dark-red dahlias
Eryngium and purple coneflower
Ajuga and cotoneaster
A bench overlooks the lawn, accompanied by an antique lawn roller.
You can also view the garden from above, on the porch of a guesthouse casita.
A Zen moment with collected stones lining adobe walls
Portal view
A weeping blue spruce (I covet!) undulates over a stone path that leads to an edible and cutting garden.
Edible and cutting garden
Sage and other herbs make pretty companions in a container.
Galvanized watering cans jostle for space on a stone wall enclosing the garden.
Inside, sweet peas were flowering.
A grapevine climbs a wire trellis.
And sunflowers bend under the weight of seeds. It’s dinnertime, birds.
Thank you, Patrick, for introducing me to the garden owner, whom I also thank for the tour of their beautiful garden!
Up next: A tour of the home garden of the late David Salman (of High Country Gardens fame) in Santa Fe.
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“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
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