On April 23, the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden held a reception for sponsors and special guests to get a sneak peek at the ‘Galleries at DeGolyer,’ a new area of the Artscape festival, before this juried fine art and fine craft show and sale opened over the weekend.

Set up in the historic DeGolyer House, Galleries at DeGolyer is a curated area featuring select works from the following galleries:

• Afterimage Gallery
• Alan Barnes Fine Art
• Dian Malouf
• David Dike Fine Art
• Riddell Rare Maps & Fine Prints
• Southwest Gallery
• Samuel Lynne Gallery featuring J.D. Miller
• Dutch Art Gallery

Artscape featured more than 90 outstanding artists from around the country showcase their art in the garden including 46 new artists showcasing painting, sculpture, photography, jewelry, glass and more. Named by Architectural Digest as one of the "15 Most Breathtaking Botanical Gardens to Visit This Season,” the Dallas Arboretum is a perfect complement to the beautiful artwork selected for the show. In addition to art, the festival included live music, a university zone, adult beverages, food concessions, packaged treats and a Children’s Art Escape. 

The Artscape co-chairs were Dallas Arboretum volunteers and community leaders, Sharon Ballew and Mari Epperson.

A special thanks to the 2019 Artscape Sponsors:

Graff Chevrolet, Automobile Sponsor

BNSF, Boulevard Sponsor

Mari and Don Epperson and Sharon and Maurice Ballew, Picnic Area Sponsor

JHP Architecture and Urban Design, Entertainment Sponsor

Accurate Signs, Entertainment Sponsor

Olmsted-Taylor Foundation, Children’s Art Escape

Joe Buskuhl, Artist Concierge Tent

Mary Spencer – University Booth Sponsor

RLG Consulting Engineers, Street Sponsor

Michael and Wendy Jenkins – Street Sponsor

Sandra Estess

In addition to Artscape, guests enjoyed the newest summer exhibit, “Celebrate the Children,” created by acclaimed sculptor Gary Lee Price, which is on display through October 15. The collection features more than 25 different, hand-produced, bronze sculptures of children playfully interacting. The “Celebrate the Children” exhibition, presented by Reliant, is also supported by the Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District.

The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden is located on the southeastern shore of White Rock Lake at 8525 Garland Road, Dallas, Texas 75218.  The Dallas Arboretum is also the home of the internationally acclaimed Rory Meyers Children's Adventure Garden. The Arboretum is open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. General admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors 65 and older, $10 for children 2-12 and free for Arboretum members and children under two. There is an additional cost of $3 per person for entrance into the Rory Meyers Children's Adventure Garden. On-site parking is $15; pre-purchased online parking is $9. The Dallas Morning News is the principal partner of the Dallas Arboretum.  The Arboretum is supported, in part, by funds from the Dallas Park and Recreation Department.  WFAA is an official media sponsor for the Dallas Arboretum. For more information, call 214.515.6500 or visit www.dallasarboretum.org.

Every great botanic garden needs an outstanding greenhouse facility to establish and acclimate the many varieties of plants, florals and vegetables it plants. For more than a decade, the Dallas Arboretum searched for appropriate land and greenhouse space, and in 2017 found it just seven miles away on an eight-acre parcel that straddles Dallas and Mesquite.  After preparing the land and installing approximately 17,000 square feet of climate-controlled greenhouses, the Dallas Arboretum is now ready to dedicate the space at a private event on April 3 at 2 p.m. (press is welcome to attend with RSVP).

According to Dallas Arboretum Board Chairman Alan Walne, “Owning our greenhouses allows us to grow many small batches of unique specimens our guests look forward to seeing in the gardens. We can now cost-effectively grow 60 percent of the plant specimens used in our gardens. With installation of the first greenhouses, we have achieved a major goal of our master plan and protected ourselves for the future.” 

The land was acquired in 2017, and the greenhouses were built in 2018, through the support of generous sponsors, including Phyllis and Tom McCasland, the Jeanne R. Johnson Foundation and the Hoblitzelle Foundation.  The Horticulture staff moved onsite in November 2018 and started producing in December 2018.

Mary Brinegar, Dallas Arboretum president and CEO, said, “This facility is a game changer. Tom and Phyllis are among the most generous supporters of the Dallas Arboretum—from seed money for the Chihuly exhibition, the impetus behind The 12 Days of Christmas celebration and the renovation and permanent site of the sunken garden. They provided the money for the land purchase for these greenhouses, paid for fencing, security, utilities, communications and a portion of the greenhouses with a challenge grant to encourage others to complete the greenhouse construction as it is today. The McCaslands ask for no publicity, but our Executive Committee voted to name the Horticulture Center and acreage in honor of them as a tribute to their generosity.”

Jenny Wegley, Dallas Arboretum vice president of horticulture, said, “These greenhouses have tripled how many high-quality plants we can grow and that our visitors have come to expect. Before, we had limited capacity at the Arboretum and another facility. We’re now able to grow different varieties of plants, larger and better quality produce for A Tasteful Place, and a variety of cereal plants (i.e., wheat, oat, rice, etc.) for our Incredible Edible Garden in the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden.”

One highlight of the Horticulture Center is the new technology incorporated into the greenhouses. Called the Wadsworth Control System, this system operates the greenhouse at the touch of a screen, increasing the quality of plants grown.  Ana Swinson, Dallas Arboretum greenhouse manager, said “This new technology is a first for us, and it’s helped us become better growers.”

Swinson and other staff can regulate the following functions right from a tablet screen:

• Temperature: ability to heat or cool the greenhouse via heaters
• Irrigation: how much water to use for various plants
• Humidity: ability to control the percentage of humidity based on plants’ needs
• Lighting/Automatic Shade: An automatic fabric shade uses less labor than when the staff had to manually cover and uncover plants. Shades are also used for heat retention in the winter/early spring. In the summertime, using the shade helps keep the greenhouse cool for Horticulture staff and volunteers working.
• Pad pumps.

Swinson added, “In addition to being able to control many functions, the system provides us with information to monitor how the greenhouses are working and send this information to a computer. If I have a successful grow one season, I can reestablish my greenhouse for the following season using the same variables. This technology allows us to grow, control and see what we’re doing and how we impact what we’re growing. Plus, a controlled environment is more predictable than being outside in the elements.”

Speaking of elements, the plant cuttings have a process for making it outside:

1. Staff plants cuttings in large trays until the root systems are developed.
2. Once root systems develop, plans are transplanted to pots until they reach the appropriate size.
3. Once at the right size with a solid root system, the plants are carried to the outside gardens, where they’re acclimated.
4. Once acclimated, those plants are transplanted into the Dallas Arboretum.

Wegley added, “Our biggest asset is climate control in the greenhouse, so now we can inspect our plants more carefully, an important part of what we do. Now we can step back and look at our plants, how we’re growing them and the quality of what’s being produced. These greenhouses give us the ability to do it accurately and precisely.”  

Farmer Lee Jones, founder of The Chef’s Garden^® in Ohio, premieres The Chef's Garden's^® Roots on the Road conference for the first time ever outside his home state at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden on Saturday, March 23.

This culinary event is the last day of the Food and Wine Festival, which runs March 21 to 23. Jones serves as the Honorary Farmer Chair, Chef Sharon Van Meter is the chef chair, and Melissa Lewis is the event chair.

The Roots conference runs from 9:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. The day concludes with a seasonal farm-to-table dinner, prepared from fresh, local grown produce starting at 5:30 p.m. with cocktails. A ticket for the workshop and dinner is $225.A dinner-only ticket is $125. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.dallasarboretum.org/foodwinefest.

Chef Sharon Van Meter said, “If you’re in the food industry—whether you’re a chef, a restaurateur, a farmer, a supplier or a foodie, this is a must-attend event for you. You’ll learn about what’s trending in sustainable food, meet large and small farmers, network with the who’s who in the industry, and sample an incredible meal at the ‘Waste Not, Want Not,’ dinner that evening!”

The Chef’s Gardenholds its annual conference at the Culinary Vegetable Institute in Milan, Ohio, where culinary influencers and industry professionals learn and share ways to cultivate change and solutions in their industry. Thanks to the partnership with The Chef’s Garden^® and Farmer Lee Jones, guests have the opportunity to experience The Chef's Garden's Roots on the Road at A Tasteful Place, the Dallas Arboretum’s newest garden dedicated to growing, harvesting and preparing vegetables, herbs and fruit.

The Chef's Garden's Roots on the Road Schedule:

9:30-10:30 a.m.

Coffee & Noshes – Sponsorship by local coffee and Katherine Clapner Kolaches

Farmers Market – Produce from 1^st panel farms

10:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m. 

Farms: Big & Small, How can we help each other?

Moderated by Farmer Lee Jones

Farms:

-Daron Babcock, Bonton Farms

-Jeff Bednar, Profound Microfarms

-Nelson Carter, Cartermere Farms

-Elizabeth Dry, POP/La Bajada Urban Youth Farms

-Sofia Martinez, Rae Lili Farm

12:30 p.m.–2:00 p.m. – Box Lunch

Work-Life Balance Panel

Moderated by Chef Mathew Peters, first American to win the coveted Bocuse d’Or award

-Junior Borges

-Lisa Lavender, The Lisa Lavender

-Nikky Phinyawatana, Asian Mint

-Lisa Welch, Make Ready Experience

2:15-3:45 p.m.

How Can Green be Greener? Guide to better practices in a reusable world

Moderated by Chef Sharon Van Meter and presented by EarthxTaste

-Lauren Clarke, Turn Compost

-Bob Curry, City of Dallas

-Kelly Freeman

-Jessie Zarazaga, Southern Methodist University

4:00-5:30 p.m.

Food Trends to Watch in 2019

Moderated by Beth Rankin, The Dallas Observer

-Randy DeWitt, Front Burner Restaurants

-Roger Kaplan, RK Innovation

-Mariam Parker, Austin Food & Wine Alliance

-Ron Ruggless, Nation's Restaurant News

Dinner: Waste Not, Want Not Dinner

5:30 p.m. Cocktails

6:30 p.m. Dinner

Lead Chef: Peter Barlow, Niteshade Chef Collaborative

Chef Jamie Simpson, The Culinary Vegetable Institute at The Chef’s Garden

Chef Junior Borges

Chef Katherine Clapner, Dude Sweet Chocolate

Chef Graham Dodds

Chef Josh Harmon, The Belmont Room

Chef Jeffery Hobbs, Slow Bone

Chef Chad Houser, Café Momentum

Chef Sean Jett, Humble Pies

Chef Robert Lyford, Patina Green Inc.

Chef Andrea Shackelford, Harvest Seasonal Kitchen

Chef David Anthony Temple, Chef DAT LTD

Farmer Jones added, “Roots on the Road is an opportunity to extend the conversations we started at Roots Cultivate 2018 at The Culinary Vegetable Institute. Sharing knowledge and expanding awareness in and around the food industry is a serious responsibility, and this is a great outlet to accomplish that. The more Roots, the merrier!”  

Themed Life's A Picnic, Dallas Blooms, presented by IBERIABANK, features more than 500,000 spring blooming bulbs and is one of the "15 Breathtaking Botanical Gardens to Visit This Season," according to Architectural Digest. 

The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens is located on the southeastern shore of White Rock Lake at 8525 Garland Road, Dallas, Texas 75218.  The Dallas Arboretum is also the home of the internationally acclaimed Rory Meyers Children's Adventure Garden. The Arboretum is open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. From January 2-31, general garden admission is $5. The Rory Meyers Children's Adventure Garden is closed through February 22 for preventative maintenance. On-site parking is $15 or $9, if purchased in advance online. General admission is $17 for adults, $14 for seniors 65 and older, $12 for children 2-12 during the Dallas Blooms Festival (Feb. 23-Apr. 7), and free for Arboretum members and children under two. The Dallas Morning News is the principal partner of the Dallas Arboretum.  The Arboretum is supported, in part, by funds from the Dallas Park and Recreation Department. WFAA is an official media sponsor for the Dallas Arboretum.  

When Nancy Pierce’s parents suggested she take an aptitude test in college, she found out that she had strengths in horticulture. Although she had planted vegetables with her mother growing up, she eschewed that calling and apologized to her parents for wasting their money on the test. Rather, she pursued nursing and teaching as a career.  Little did she know that horticulture would in fact become a big part of her life.

In 1995, Nancy's husband, Robert, received a new job, so they moved to Valdosta, Georgia, a small southern town. “We bought a cute little house with a large plot of dirt in the backyard, so I planted the only thing I knew—vegetables—but some critters consumed everything,” said Nancy.  “So, I called my mother who suggested that I try planting roses.”

Nancy proceeded to order six bare root roses from Wayside Gardens, a mail order company. “When they arrived, I was shocked; nothing but sticks, sticks on the top and sticks on the bottom. I had no idea which end to plant, but I gave it my best shot and in six weeks, I had roses! I was hooked. I went to our local nursery and bought six more rose bushes, giving me now… a dozen roses.”

In 1997, Nancy and Robert moved back to Dallas to a house in Preston Hollow on Tulip Lane, and she was inspired to continue growing roses. With a two-year-old son and another on the way, she longed for a rose bed. “Being quite pregnant at the time, my mother offered to have someone come build my first Dallas rose bed.” Having room for 33 roses in that bed and a lot more space in her yard, Nancy realized she could build more beds and plant more bushes.

Robert thought they ought to plant additional rose bushes in the front yard since their house sits on a well-traveled corner, and more people could enjoy the roses.  

Nancy began researching roses all over North America. “I did a lot of research. I reviewed catalogues, scanned the Internet and discovered the website helpmefind.com/roses – it’s my rose bible.” She also goes to many botanical gardens, including the Dallas Arboretum, and she sometimes visits growers.

In 1998, Nancy entered her first roses in a Dallas Rose Society Rose Show. “After winning my first blue ribbon, I was inspired to get really serious about rose growing. We started building raised beds, paying attention to the soil and finding even more unique varieties that would do well in North Texas.”

Roses became a family affair for the Pierce family. With two sons, Chip and Jack, Nancy had three capable men to help her take care of her passion. It takes Nancy 16 hours just to prune the bushes in the spring, so she spends many hours tending to them.

Two years ago her rose garden was submitted to the archives of the Smithsonian Institute, showcasing her amazing rose growing acumen.

“Growing close to 250 rose bushes, and the reward of creating something beautiful for myself and for my family really blossomed into an extended group of visitors who would stop and literally smell the roses. People would leave me notes, take photos of the roses, tell me their stories, and ask for rose growing advice. People would come from other towns to see my roses. The real joy of my rose garden was the pleasure it brought to others.”

All along, she documented her roses in a detailed spreadsheet and took thousands of photos of them over the years. Someone suggested she use her beautiful photos to create a notecard collection, which she’s done. “My legacy is now my rose card business.” Additionally, she is working on her website, fittingly named Texas Rose Lady with stories and rose growing tips.

This past summer, the Pierces sold their home on Tulip Lane and were unable to move their multitude of roses with them.  Nancy kept a dozen unique and hard to find rose bushes for her new home where she has limited sun and space to garden.

After meeting with Dallas Arboretum President Mary Brinegar this summer to talk “roses,” Nancy got the idea that maybe the botanical garden would be a good place to donate the 200 rose bushes. The roses will be planted in the Boswell Family Garden with a sign that reads, “Donated by Robert and Nancy Pierce in honor of Cherrie Perkins Wells,” Nancy’s mother. That’s how the roses that used to be on Tulip Lane ended up at the Arboretum.

When asked what roses have taught her, Nancy thoughtfully replied, “Roses are very forgiving. You can neglect them, prune them too hard…. and they will still perform for you. The joy of gardening is in watching God’s handiwork become your own. It is therapeutic, uplifting and gives one a sense of purpose.”

Advice on planting roses:

Beds: Raised beds allow you to control your soil and drainage.

Soil: Amend your soil with compost and mulch to adjust its pH to slightly acidic.

Best time to plant:

After the last freeze, usually the second week in March.

Pruning: If you prune hard, you create larger blooms. If you prune small, you’ll have smaller blooms.

Watering: Roses love water. They don’t like wet feet, so drainage is important. That’s why raised beds work best.

The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden announces that the Founders Garden Club of Dallas will present a workshop entitled “Everything You Wanted to Know About Fall Vegetable Gardening” on Saturday, July 28 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Rosine Hall with a tour of A Tasteful Place following the session. This event is free to those with paid garden admission.

Founders Garden Club of Dallas, a Garden Club of America member, is sponsoring this day to help garden guests learn the essentials of planning, preparation, planting, growing and harvesting fresh vegetables – both in a garden plot or containers.  

Current club President Barbara Hunt Crow said, “This workshop will focus on fall gardening as our North Texas climate is perfect for growing many vegetables such as cucumbers, squash, lettuce and more. One goal of Founders is to be able to sponsor informative workshops, and the Dallas Arboretum is the perfect partner to help make it happen.”

The day begins with a welcome by Dallas Arboretum President and CEO Mary Brinegar followed by the first workshop, “Planning for a Fall Vegetable Garden,” by Daniel Cunningham of Texas AgriLife.

Next, Dallas Arboretum’s Vice President of Horticulture Jenny Wegley speaks about “Vegetable Selection and Planting: What, When and How.”

Following lunch, Barbara Brown of Denton County Master Gardeners discusses “Harvesting and Preserving the Bounty From Your Garden.” The last speaker, Dana Wilson of North Haven Gardens, talks about composting.

After guests attend this informative workshop, Wegley will take participants to see the Dallas Arboretum’s latest garden, A Tasteful Place, a new 3.5-acre, $12 million edible display garden that showcases the best gardening practices with fruit, herbs and vegetables. She will explain additional gardening techniques in these Potager Gardens, which translate as an ornamental kitchen garden. The Potager Gardens are a signature element of the development with in-season vegetables, herbs and flowers, planted ornamentally and interspersed with flowers to attract pollinators and beneficial insects.  Of the four potagers, one is named for the late Marilyn R. Corrigan and the other for her daughter, Catherine A. Corrigan, both Founders Garden Club members.

For more information on the July 28^th event or to register, contact Linda Herrington at 214-515-6640 or via email at lherrington@dallasarboretum.org.

About the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden:

The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens is located on the southeastern shore of White Rock Lake at 8525 Garland Road, Dallas, Texas 75218.  The Dallas Arboretum is also the home of the internationally acclaimed Rory Meyers Children's Adventure Garden. The Arboretum is open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. General admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors 65 and older, $10 for children 3-12 and free for Arboretum members and children two and under. On-site parking is $15 or $9, if purchased in advance online. The Dallas Morning News is the principal partner of the Dallas Arboretum.  The Arboretum is supported, in part, by funds from the Dallas Park and Recreation Department. WFAA is an official media sponsor for the Dallas Arboretum.