August 24, 2025

One of the last gardens I saw at the Memphis Fling in June was Amy Bateson and Sarah Tinkler’s Japanese-inspired garden surrounding a gem of a mid-century modern home.

A tiny sculpted dragon welded to the mailbox greeted us at the street.

In the front lawn, a composition of upright and horizontal stones and a weeping white pine, carefully sculpted, sets the mood for the green, serene garden to come.

A Japanese maple, all S-curves beneath a veil of burgundy leaves, marks the garden entrance at the front walk.

A stone lantern in the distance draws you forward.

How pretty it must be in the evening with candlelight flickering within.

A sharp left through a slatted black fence takes you into a courtyard garden of azaleas, juniper, liriope, and a Japanese black pine.

Layered black pine

Along a wall of windows, a rectangular pond adds the tranquil sight of water. Rolled bamboo covers rest on the brick edging. Are these to keep out raccoons and herons at night, I wondered?

We walked through the house to reach the back garden, but I stopped and turned to admire the courtyard view. Floor-length windows and transoms bring the garden right into the house.

In back, a 53-foot-long lap pool reflects tall trees all around, while drawing the eye out from the house.

Fling organizer Kim Halyak found a spot on the deck to take a well-earned catnap.

More Flingers relaxed in a green courtyard garden off the back of the house.

Looking outward, I admired a lovely old ginkgo at the edge of a boardwalk path. Beyond, enclosed by a screen of trees and shrubs, the lawn grows long, fostering habitat for fireflies.

Up next: The handsome woodland garden of Andy Williams and Dr. John Morris. For a look back at a Fling shopping stop at Millstone Market & Nursery, click here.

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Digging Deeper

Want ideas for your yard besides lawn? Sure you do! I’m giving a talk called “Lawn Gone: 8 Great Ideas for Your Yard” on Saturday, September 13, at the Concho Valley Master Gardeners Fall Symposium in San Angelo, Texas. The cost for the all-day symposium with 4 speakers is $30 per person; refreshments and lunch included. Register by 9/10 at this link to attend. I hope to see you there, West Texas homeowners and gardeners!

My new book, Gardens of Texas: Visions of Resilience from the Lone Star State, comes out October 14! It’s available for pre-order now on Amazon and other online book sellers. If you’d like to read it or give it as a holiday gift, please consider pre-ordering. (I’m happy to sign pre-ordered copies at my book events!) Early orders make a big difference in helping new books get noticed. More info about Gardens of Texas here — and thank you for your support!

Come see me on tour! I’ll be speaking and hosting book events across Texas this fall and into next spring to celebrate the release of Gardens of Texas. Join me to learn, get inspired, and say hello!

Come learn about gardening and design at Garden Spark! I organize in-person talks by inspiring designers, landscape architects, authors, and gardeners a few times a year in Austin. These are limited-attendance events, so join the Garden Spark email list for notification when tickets go on sale: click this link and ask to SUBSCRIBE. Read all about the Season 9 lineup here!

All material © 2025 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.