About the Gardens
Our Mission:
To create an urban residential garden that inspires, unifies and educates the surrounding community, while serving as a resource promoting health and a sustainable environment.
History
The Gardens of Hacienda Tecolote is located on land that was once part of a Hill Country ranch dating back to the late 1800s. The land’s original owner, rancher Manuel Tejada, subdivided part of his ranch in 1918, creating plots of several acres each. The Bueche family of San Antonio acquired 10 acres of that land in the late 1930s in what was then undeveloped country located well outside of the city. The family built a hacienda-style home on the land in 1946, including a small cottage for caretakers’ quarters. They also kept a barn and several of the original structures from the ranch intact on the property, including a quonset hut, and livestock stalls that still stand to this day, together with nearly 100 Live oak trees. In the 1970s, after Mr. Bueche passed on, the land was subdivided into three plots and sold as the city continued to expand around it. Today the land is owned by two medical professionals who purchased the property to preserve it as a natural urban garden for the community to enjoy.
About Our Name
In the Aztec language, Tecolote means owl. The Gardens of Hacienda Tecolote gets its name from a family of owls that have lived on the property for years and still watch over the land. If you listen carefully, you might hear them late at night or early in the morning.
Back to the Future
New owners Joe and Chantal Harrison and their partner, entrepreneur and real estate expert Barry Pryce, have lovingly restored the property’s home, keeping the original building materials whenever possible while transforming the home into four studio efficiency apartments (and refurbishing a one-bedroom casita) for use by visitors to the Gardens.
True to their mission of sustainability, the Harrisons used reclaimed materials to enhance the property. Hundreds of feet of old well pipe, where used to create a unique, handcrafted privacy fence for the property. Old window casings are now fastened together to create a pergola for the garden’s meditation center. Each unit is appointed with linens and beddings from environmentally-friendly companies. The property is also equipped with UV germicidal system to protect guest health and improve air quality. We have also installed a whole house carbon filter that removes chlorine and other impurities.