April 18, 2026
I stopped by Lucinda Hutson‘s purple casita this week and couldn’t resist a quick tour around her garden. Mexican flame vine, its flowers molten orange against the purple house, makes a bold opening act.
I love this annual vine, but I remember mine waiting until fall to flower. What magic is Lucinda working here?
Lucinda’s stashing her empties in the window boxes. “The bottles are too pretty to throw away,” she said.
The Mermaid Garden with its seashell arch and strands of pearly capiz. Snake plants and sticks-on-fire surround the iron mermaid, standing in for coral and seaweed.
Nasturtiums with parasol-like leaves, each one marked like a Trivial Pursuit pie piece (now that’s a dated reference)
Peek-a-boo
Alongside Lucinda’s bathtub shrine — a charming piece of folk art — a cedar bench beckons.
Lime-green Jewels of Opar with its pretty pink and red seedpods
In a raised bed along the driveway, nasturtium, chard, and other cool-season edibles thrive before summer’s heat comes on.
A purple patch of petunias and ornamental cabbages mark the garden’s entrance.
Layers of mistflower, salvia, ruellia, and roses add more color through the seasons.
‘Mystic Spires’ salvia is a wonderful perennial that flowers all season long.
The bees adore it too.
I’m glad I got to see Lucinda’s colorful garden one more time before I leave Austin. It’s one of my favorite places to while away an hour or two among the flowers. I’ll miss its colorful, fun-loving, and hospitable gardener even more.
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