Tucked away on Hancock Drive is a beautiful bower created by friendly people who are there to help you beautify your outdoor surroundings. Shoal Creek Nursery seems to stock every single variety of lantana that I’ve ever seen. Plants attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies appear to be a specialty, and the nursery even makes available a list of what appeals to these colorful visitors.

Shoal Creek Nursery offers many plants not often seen for sale elsewhere in Austin; an example is ruellia (the so-called “Mexican petunia”) in several colors. Shoal Creek Nursery carries more seeds for more types of herbs, vegetables, and flowers than I’ve seen anywhere else. They aren’t the Italian, Japanese, or Korean seeds found elsewhere from time to time, but an extremely wide array of varieties, including seeds for wildflowers, packaged by several seed companies may be found there right now.

New-season bedding plants already present in variety are dianthus (pinks) and Johnny jump-ups (violas). Spring bulbs of many kinds are expected soon. We’ve usually found a fine selection of high-quality ranunculus (also known as “Persian buttercups” and the model for Mexican paper flowers) tubers at Shoal Creek.

It’s a pleasure to see thriving plants after our tough summer and to plan for the cooler weather that’s on its way. Shoal Creek Nursery is one of Austin’s treasures for gardeners.