November 19, 2025
Garden & Gun, a national magazine celebrating the culture, food, music, tradition, and people of the South, featured my new book this week! Writer Lindsey Liles calls Gardens of Texas “gorgeous” with “twenty-seven standout private gardens.”
Liles adds:
“In addition to offering standalone eye candy, Penick concludes her deep dive into each garden with practical takeaways for things like adding in pollinator-friendly plants, using boulders for garden seating, or planting a native lawn that will need less water. In the face of a changing climate, she stresses, the challenges and setbacks of gardening in Texas’s extremes—and the ingenuity it inspires—will become increasingly applicable beyond the Lone Star State.”
The article includes images from 9 different gardens featured in the book — photographs taken by Kenny Braun, who traveled across the state with me to capture each garden as fully as possible.
My thanks to Garden & Gun for the feature! If you’d like to order the book, you’ll find it online and in stores everywhere. Or if you’d like to connect in person and get an autographed copy, you can find me at these upcoming events:
Nov. 22 – Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, 1-3 pm. This is the place that got me started as a Texas gardener. Join me for a slide-show presentation in the auditorium. I’ll show how resilient gardeners are embracing change, shifting their plant palette toward Texas natives, nurturing wildlife, and finding deeper joy in the process. Talk is included with admission to the garden. I’ll have books for sale and signing afterward. More info here. Location: 4801 La Crosse Ave, Austin.
Dec. 5, 5 to 8 pm – Book signing at Get Lucky Gallery during First Friday in Lockhart — when businesses stay open late and everyone comes out for a good time! Get Lucky is a uniquely Lockhart gift shop and gallery featuring one-of-a-kind local artists. Come say howdy, pick up a signed copy of Gardens of Texas, and check some lucky folks off your holiday shopping list. Location: 113 S. Main St, Lockhart.
Dec. 7, 2 to 4 pm – Book signing at Joy Gift Shoppe in Austin, a charming Kerbey Lane boutique specializing in local artists, ethically handmade gifts, and companies that give back. They’re joyously featuring a Gardens of Texas book signing, so come say hi, get a signed copy, and add a little joy to your holiday shopping! Location: 3706 Kerbey Ln, Austin.
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Digging Deeper
My new book, Gardens of Texas: Visions of Resilience from the Lone Star State, is here! Find it on Amazon, other online book sellers, and in stores everywhere. It’ll make a great holiday gift for anyone who loves gardens or the natural beauty of Texas. More info here.
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!
Learn about garden design and ecology at Garden Spark! I organize in-person talks by designers, landscape architects, authors, and gardeners a few times a year in Austin. Subscribe to Garden Spark by clicking here to email — subject line: SUBSCRIBE.
All material © 2025 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
