I just returned from a fabulous Garden Conservancy trip to Dallas and Ft. Worth meeting some of the most hospitable people I’ve ever met and seeing beautiful homes, gardens, trees and plants in the Lone Star State. You’ve heard Vicki and me talk about our fabulous experiences on these trips that the GC organizes for its members before and this trip was no exception.
Thanks to a wonderful local Garden Conservancy friend, doors (and garden gates) were opened for us to some of the most beautiful gardens in Dallas and Ft. Worth!
What I discovered was a surprisingly verdant region with an abundance of spectacular old trees. Those of us from other states had a hard time identifying the various trees providing canopies of shade throughout Dallas and Ft. Worth, but we were transfixed by the sheer number of these wonderful old trees. We were told that there is a great diversity of species in the region due to variations in soils, climate and human influence. Some of the trees we discovered include stunning and dramatic Live Oaks, a very wide variety of Japanese maples, Blue Point Junipers, Carolina Buckthorns, Carolina Cherries, Crepe Myrtles (with the most gorgeous, smooth multi-branch trunks and branches), Holly, American Elm, Arizona Cypress, Cedar Elms and Desert Willow to name a few…
In all, over our 2 1/2 days, we visited 12 private gardens, a family “office” (more land dedicated to landscaping and open space than buildings), a sculpture garden, a botanical garden, and a lecture. Breakfasts, lunches and dinners were tucked in between all of these memorable destinations and our closing dinner was at the dramatic and inspired ranch of Sarah and Ross Perot – an experience we will never forget. Needless to say it was a full agenda designed to provide us with a comprehensive overview of the region in the short time we had.
Our lecture by Dr. Eric Haskell, Professor of French and Humanities at Scripps, was particularly memorable. Dr. Haskell has an interdisciplinary background in literature, art, architecture, history, the history of ideas as well as the political and social traditions which have shaped France (phew!). His lecture was captivating! He introduced us to Russell Page, the man – and shared the history of Russell Page’s gardens as a prelude to visiting Anne Bass’s spectacular Russell Page. Ft. Worth garden. Note to self: study the background of a garden designer prior to seeing an important garden. This context significantly enhanced my experience of Anne Bass’s garden.
The beloved state flower of Texas – the Bluebonnet (Lupinus subcarnosus)
More to follow with some of the specifics I saw in Dallas… Thanks to the Garden Conservancy team for another fabulous experience!
