Austin Pond Society

We still need quite a few volunteers for the 2012 tour. There are a lot of advantages to volunteering. For just a few hours of your time, you get free admission to all the ponds on the tour, a tour t-shirt, and you get to come to the pre-tour splash party - always a great time! - on June 2nd. 

You don't have to be a pond society member to volunteer. If you'd like to volunteer, download the volunteer form here: Volunteer Form.

Karl and BJ taped a segment on the pond tour with Central Texas Gardener today. Look for it to air starting on June 2.

Wristbands are available for purchase here on the website now! Go here to purchase: Wristbands.

Wristbands should be available for purchase at our vendor locations around town beginning around May 19. The vendor locations are:

Emerald Garden (www.emerald-garden.com)  - Oak Hill

Natural Gardener (www.naturalgardeneraustin.com) South Austin

The Great Outdoors  (http://www.gonursery.com/ - South Austin

Zilker Botanical Garden (http://www.zilkergarden.org/ - Central Austin

Shoal Creek Nursery (http://www.shoalcreeknursery.com/ - North Austin

McIntires Garden (www.mcintiresgarden.com) - Georgetown

Hill Country Water Gardens (http://hillcountrywatergardens.com/)- Cedar Park

This year is our 18th Pond and Garden Tour, featuring 20 private gardens and an exceptional one at a business, along with 36 ponds and innumerable waterfalls, streams, and water features. 

The Tour is scheduled for:

  Saturday, June 9 — South and Central Austin (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

  Saturday Night — Three locations (8 p.m.to 10:30 p.m.)

  Sunday, June 10 – North Austin (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

The cost of the tour is $15 per person if purchased in advance, $20 per person the day of the tour buy now using this link Wristbands.  Wristbands will also for purchase at a number of vendors in town around the 19th.   

On this year’s tour, there are ponds of every size, shape, and description—truly something for anyone! Twelve of the sites have never been on the tour before, and many of the others have new features that you'll want to see. The largest pond is 40,000 gallons and is fed by an artesian spring. The smallest is 200 gallons and will inspire the novice pond builder to get started on a do-it-yourself project. One site is halfway through a 10-year construction project that will include an underground grotto and cylindrical waterfall guarded by a six-foot dragon covered with iridescent scales. Wow!

Don’t forget that this year’s tour will also feature three beautiful gardens for night viewing. The lights and sounds are pure magic and should not be missed.

Be sure to visit the North Austin garden that has 350 feet of model railroad that replicates the Texas Hill Country. Nearby is a garden built on a reclaimed hillside of lush plantings with a beautiful Victorian gazebo. About half of the ponds were constructed by the owners and will prove that DIY doesn’t mean smaller or less spectacular than professionally built. Every garden has something exciting and unique, and anyone looking for pond-building inspiration will come away with a treasure trove of ideas after attending the tour.