Susan and Bill Albert live and garden on 32 acres of land they call Meadow Knoll, located on the rugged Edwards Plateau in the Texas Hill Country, about an hour’s drive northwest of Austin. They are surrounded by a wild gardenscape of open meadow, dense woodland, caliche slopes, and limestone outcroppings. Their corner of this lovely place includes spring-fed Pecan Creek, with its cypress-bordered pools and musical miniature waterfalls; a wood filled with pecan, live oak, mulberry, and elm, with an understory of rough-leaf dogwood, redbud, yaupon holly, and Mexican plum; and a meadow rich in spring and summer wildflowers, dark green Ashe juniper, lacy mesquite, and flameleaf sumac. The native prairie grasses are a special, all-season joy: big bluestem, sugar cane plumegrass, Lindheimer muhly, switchgrass, Indian grass, buffalo grass.
In the midst of this abundant wild beauty, Susan Albert creates gardens that have a natural "Texas" look. Salvias—S. coccinea, S. farinacea (grown from wild-gathered stock), S. guaranitca, , and S. leucantha are much loved by the black-chin and ruby-throat hummingbirds. Butterflies flock to the prairie verbena, blue mistflower (Eupatorium coelestinum), butterfly bush, and buttonbush. In the gardens or in the meadow she is currently cultivating the native marigolds Tagetes lucida and T. lemmonii; Monarda citriodora (horsemint); Liatris mucronata (gayfeather); Ruellia nudiflora (a wild ancestor of the cultivated petunia); Mexican oregano (Poliomintha longiflora); standing cypress (Ipomopsis rubra); thistly-looking erynogo; and goldenrod. Pecan Creek is bordered by clumps of Siberian and Louisiana iris and yellow flag, naturalized daylilies put on a bright summer show along the bank, and the peppermint and spearmint are wildly exuberant. As the author of the China Bayles Herbal Mysteries, Susan has a special interest in herbs, many of which perform exceptionally well in the dry, alkaline soil of the Edwards Plateau. Rosemary grows into a large, splendid landscape shrub; southernwood, santolina, and lambs’s ears create a soft border; catnip, lavender, and blue-green rue are striking companions for the silvery artemisias; and marjoram, basil, sage, thyme, dill, garlic, and parsley find their way into delicious salads, pestos, and vinegars. Susan also grows a variety of medicinal herbs—St. John’s wort, aloe vera, echinacea, comfrey, epazote, horehound, tansy, and yarrow. And to make jellies, she gathers the native Mustang grapes that ripen on the fences, or the young green pods of the mesquite tree, or the brilliant ruby-colored fruit of the fierce prickly pear.
In addition to writing three books a year and a regular column ("The Herbal Thymes") for Country Living Gardener, Susan is an active member of the Herb Society of America, and a sought-after speaker for herb and gardening groups. But she always saves time out of her busy speaking and writing schedule to tend and enlarge her gardens. New this year are a rose hedge along the verge of the meadow, a daffodil and daylily bed, a woodland glade and shade garden, a potted patio garden, a mixed perennial border that embraces the front porch, and additions to Susan’s collection of antique roses—some over 150 years old. New and old, native and naturalized, Meadow Knoll offers something beautiful in every season of the year (although May/June and October are its show-off months).
(click on a small picture to see the larger version)
Susan grows lambs ears, thyme, and yarrow in a small garden beside Pecan Creek.
In her spare moments, Susan crafts Ukranian Easter eggs, using eggs laid by her own ducks and geese.
Leucanthus is a lovely native perennial from Mexico, a member of the salvia family.
Lion's ear, an African herb, was used as an aphrodisiac. Leucanthus and goldenrod make a colorful early autumn background.
Goldenrod grows wild along Pecan Creek, as well as in Susan's garden.
Prickly pear fruit makes a tasty Texas jelly!
Susan's herb garden includes santolina, yarrow, artemisia, rosemary—and much more!
Bright red cannas, blue Indigo Spires salvia, and yellow Copper Canyon daisy brighten the little patio at the back of our house.
