This above ground rainwater cistern was installed in the teaching garden in 2024. It holds 200 gallons of water and aids in water conservation efforts, helping to sustain the garden during dry months.

This peach tree in the teaching garden is representative of the orchard that was once part of the property on the north side of the house. On the land now occupied by the Texas Federation of Women's Club building, peach trees provided fruit for the Cochran family.

The Cochran family loved plumbago. They had several shurbs was planted around the columns at the front of the house around 1900. This vibrant plant is known for its clusters of cheerful, phlox-like blue flowers that attract pollinators like butterflies.

Photo: The Cochran family c. 1905.

The historic teaching garden, planned and planted by a local Boy Scout for her Gold Award project, is an outdoor exhibit featuring vegetables, fruits, herbs, and native plants that were traditionally grown on the property. Among them are tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, purple hull peas, beans, okra, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peppers, and lettuce and winter greens. The Garden features plants that were historically important to the people of Austin, many of them cultivated and popularized by Black Austinites.

Photo: Rufus Howard, a resident of Wheatville and employee of the Cochran family through the 1920s.