You'll go wild for Tanglewild

Prior to moving to Austin in 2011, Skottie and Jeff spent 22 years in Seattle, where they packed a collector’s garden into a 50x100-foot city lot. Seeking a warmer, less rainy climate, they bought a 1.7-acre property in north Austin, and their dream of starting a daylily hybridizing nursery -- they have more than 800 cultivars and 200+ seedlings -- grew into the larger goal of establishing a botanical garden: Tanglewild Gardens, one of the private gardens we'll be touring during the Austin Fling.

 

Scottie and Jeff are justifiably proud of their daylily collection. In 2017 they were accredited as an American Hemerocallis National Display Garden and as a Historic Display Garden (for daylilies). In addition to daylilies, Tanglewild has many varieties of palms, brugmansia, arisaema, and coleus, and it's a certified wildlife refuge. "The Tar Branch creek snakes through the back half of our property," Jeff says. "While seasonal, it has flowing water for much of the year and is home to many fish and three snapping turtles, including Crush (named after the turtle in Finding Nemo), who's over 2 feet long."

Daylily seedlings

Skottie designed the garden, which contains two walled courtyards with Moroccan-accented screens. One contains a moon garden planted with white and pale-colored flowers to be enjoyed after dark. The other is their main entertaining space, a tropicalesque garden surrounding their swimming pool and a large, comfortably furnished porch.

The nursery and garden is their retirement plan from the tech world -- someday. In the meantime, it’s a place to recharge, relax, and share good times with friends and family.

We look forward to sharing it with you at the Austin Fling. There are still a few spots left on the tour, so sign up today!

Moon garden