Peter Walker's Garden: where the wild things are

I've been admiring the Blanton Museum's landscaping from time to time over the last few months. (It's WAY more interesting than the exterior architecture.) Designed by Peter Walker Partners from Berkeley, CA, the landscape is very beautiful and different than other more common landscapes on campus. What I discovered yesterday was the wildflower meadow on the north side of the building. This rectangle of dense buffalo grass is a soft and woolly conterpoint to the blank wall of the museum. Three mature red oaks stand above a meadow which is currently filled with blooming wildflowers. I think I saw - among many - several varieties of horse mint, a phlox, winecup, and Mexican hat. Plus, this place was abuzz with grasshoppers and birds, a cacophany compared with the quiet lawns just 10 feet away. Very cool! I highly recommend a walk through this little oasis on campus. Plus, the rows of cedar elms are highly pleasing in a medidative, rhythmic way...