This garden is home to the largest flower festival in the Southwest.
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Transcript:
Hey there,
I’m jumping in before the usual intro to let you know — if you are in the Dallas area starting TODAY, head on over to the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden for their annual flower festival. It’s called Dallas Blooms: Outside the Ordinary, and it’s going on from NOW until April 13. It’s the largest flower show in the southwest, and you don’t want to miss it. Plus, the daffodils are already blooming, and even a few hyacinths and tulips. Spring is coming! Spring is coming! Get thee to the garden!
Now, on with the show.
Hello Listeners,
Today is February 22, and this is A Garden A Day with Mædunbroc Gardens.
Thank you for listening.
What do you get when you combine two lavish, lakeside estates, a seventy-five member Board of Directors, more than 220 employees, and more than 400 active volunteers?
Why, you get today’s garden, of course! Today, we are exploring Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden in Dallas, Texas.
Today’s garden was forty years in the making and began as a gleam in the eye of members of the Dallas Arboretum Foundation in 1944, but it wasn’t until 1974 that the Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Society was formed and plans for a botanical garden slowly took shape. It still took another decade before the garden would open for visitors.
Those early members of the society did not have a garden until the city of Dallas — in 1977 — recommended the forty-four acre city-owned DeGolyer estate on the shore of White Rock Lake.
The estate had been the home of Everette DeGolyer, an oil company executive and one-time president of the Dallas Arboretum Foundation, and his wife, Nell. The 21,000 square foot home was built in 1939 in the Latin Colonial Revival style. It’s open today for tours.
The society began raising funds for the garden and increased membership to the society. By 1980, they were able to purchase the neighboring estate — the twenty-two acre estate of real estate developer Alex Camp and his wife, Roberta, bringing the total acreage for the botanical garden to sixty-six acres.
The 8,500 square foot Alex Camp House was built in 1938 and is a blend of Latin Colonial, English Regency and Art Deco styles.
Both estates are on the shore of White Rock Lake.
The garden opened in 1984, and in 1985, the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden hosted its first Dallas Blooms festival with 130,000 tulips and 40,000 guests.
Today, the sixty-six acre garden includes twenty-two gardens and floral displays that change with the seasons.
An allee of crape myrtles greets visitors upon entrance to the botanical garden. The effect is stunning anytime of year, but they bloom in summer.
The Rory Meyer’s Children’s Garden spans eight acres and includes hands-on STEM activities that teach important science concepts under the disguise of pure fun. There are several distinct learning areas that are designed to be age-specific but not age-restrictive allowing children of all ages the opportunity to learn. Children have the opportunity to learn about energy, plants, light, life cycles, earth cycles, and much more.
The Tasteful Place is one of the newest gardens. This three and a half acre garden, pavilion, and kitchen focuses on growing and eating fresh produce. Tastings are offered three times a day.
The Martha Brooks Camellia Garden includes 200 camellias. The gorgeous flowers bloom in autumn and winter while a few cherry trees offer blossoms in spring.
Another 200 — this time hybrid tea roses — adorn the lovely pocket rose garden. Peak time for blooming roses is October, and this garden is a popular spot for wedding photos.
The rose garden is part of the DeGolyer Garden which was designed in 1940 as part of the DeGolyer estate. Many of the features of that garden remain including the sunken garden. The sunken garden was renovated in 2006 and is now called the McCasland Sunken Garden. Spring and summer blossoms steal the show making this garden a popular spot for photos.
Another popular spot for blossoms is Nancy’s Garden. Crape myrtles and azaleas burst forth in summer bringing this garden to life. This garden is one of the more peaceful areas of the botanical garden and offers a nice bit of shade for a rest on a hot Texas day.
More color can be found in the Margaret Elizabeth Jonsson Color Garden. This six and a half acre garden includes more than 2,000 varieties of azaleas in spring, bananas and tapioca in summer, and chrysanthemums in autumn. This gorgeous garden is a great spot for a picnic.
But it’s not all play at the botanical garden. Between 3,000 and 5,000 plants are trialed each year in the Trial Gardens. The purpose is to research and find the best plants for growing in the climate of North Central Texas. Each season brings new blooms and new information on which plants not only survive but thrive.
There are so many more gardens to see at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. It’s a place to visit again and again.
The garden also offers many educational opportunities for children and adults. In addition to the children’s garden, there are programs for homeschoolers, field trips for schools, summer camps, and even overnight experiences where children get to camp in the Exploration Center and explore the garden at night.
Adults will enjoy the Speakers Bureau where guests will learn about many different topics related to the Arboretum and Botanical Garden. Topics include sculpture and art in the garden, a focus on plants, a focus on the trees, and a behind the scenes look at how the garden grows.
While enjoying these sixty-six acres, visitors will be happy to find a number of dining options from grab and go to seated dining. The new Spring Tea menu will be offered beginning February 24 in the DeGolyer Tea Room with reservations made at least 24 hours in advance. Brunch is offered on weekends.
There are also a number of beautiful picnic spots in the gardens, and visitors are invited to bring a blanket to enjoy eating al fresco.
The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden hosts several events throughout the year including Dallas Blooms that I mentioned at the open of this episode.
They also host a summer concert series overlooking White Rock Lake and Autumn at the Arboretum, a fun time to enjoy cooler weather with pumpkins, gourds, and squash.
Of course, the festive winter holiday season is always a good time to visit the garden. They host Holiday at the Arboretum and celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas with festive decorations, more than a million twinkling lights, and of course, Old St. Nick, himself.
The garden is open daily from 9:00 to 5:00. Tickets are required, and you do have to pay to park. Discounts are often available online.
Well, that’s about it for today. I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s garden.
Thank you so much for listening. Join me tomorrow to find out where we are going next. I release a new episode every single day.
As a reminder, you can learn more about the gardens featured on A Garden a Day by clicking on the links in the notes or by visiting our website, agardenaday.com.
And If you like A Garden a Day, and I hope you do, please consider liking, subscribing, and telling your friends. If you are able, please also consider giving us a five-star review. It lets me know you like the show, and it also helps others find the podcast. I really do appreciate your support.
If all goes well, I will be right back here tomorrow. See you then!
To learn more about Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, check out these links:
https://www.dallasarboretum.org/
https://www.dallasparks.org/216/2171/Dallas-Arboretum-Botanical-Garden
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas_Arboretum_and_Botanical_Garden
https://www.visitdallas.com/things-to-do/outdoors/parks-gardens/dallas-arboretum/
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