[Garden & Gun] On a freezing afternoon late last winter, I drove west on I-10, leaving my home in San Antonio for a yearlong sabbatical in Fredericksburg. Though only seventy miles away, the town couldn’t feel more removed from my life back home. Fredericksburg may be little, especially by Texas standards—population 12,135—but it boasts a big reputation. Known for its sweet summer peaches, a booming wine industry, and its German heritage, it will begin celebrating its 175th anniversary this May with a year’s worth of festivities. But even a weekend exploring its mix of historic and modern charms—and reveling in its springtime wildflower show—can feel like a reset.Graphic depicts a typical Fredericksburg 'Sunday House' where ranchers and their families would spend the night after a long buggy ride into town to attend services.
For a landing pad, check in to the Trueheart Hotel, with its twelve cottages and lush, meandering garden nestled just off Main Street. Nick and Alice Adair purchased the property, previously called the Sugarberry Inn, last summer and launched a complete overhaul. Sitting on the sun-drenched patio, I hear the couple’s cockapoo, Mr. Bean, rustling in the flower beds as Alice explains her vision. "I wanted an homage to Texas with an element of earthiness and not overly feminine," she says. The result is a "pop retro meets Western meets Hill Country" aesthetic that shines through in festive Pierre Frey wallpapers, traditional Scalamandré fabrics, scalloped door frames painted by the English expat designer Miranda Gill, and watercolors of Texas flora and fauna by the San Antonio artist Tara Gill.