Dallas Arboretum Debuts A Tasteful Place, A Year-Round Food Oasis

Mark Wolf, Dallas Arboretum board chairman, said, "A Dallas landmark and international destination, the Dallas Arboretum has carefully planned for many years to build A Tasteful Place to fit in with our mission of being not only a beautiful display garden, but also one involved in education and research. There are few other gardens in the country doing what we're doing here at this level." 

A Tasteful Place opens during the Arboretum's popular fall festival, Autumn at the Arboretum, presented by Rogers-O'Brien, when thousands of guests visit the popular pumpkin houses built with more than 90,000 pumpkins.

A Tasteful Place has many beautiful features and areas throughout:

• Potager Display Gardens: The four 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. One is named for Marilyn R. Corrigan and the other for her daughter, Catherine A. Corrigan.
• The Charlotte and Donald Test Pavilion, a 3,600-square-foot building with 180 degree views of the garden, lagoon and walkways, features an event space and teaching kitchen to showcase chefs who will demonstrate preparation of garden-to-table cuisine.
• The Barbara and Bob Bigham Scenic Overlook, a perfect location for weddings, wine tastings, seated dinners and picnics, overlooking downtown Dallas and White Rock Lake.
• Ruthie Pack's Tasting Plaza, a site of daily tastings featuring seasonal produce.
• Central Stairway and Promenade, a beautiful stairway that descends from the entry plaza and Gisela Rodriguez Gazebo to welcome visitors to the garden, along with panoramic views of the new additions.
• The Strolling Trail, a U-shaped paved ADA accessible walkway to take visitors circuitously to see the garden.
• The Three Sisters Outlook, the trellis covered patio provides a shaded spot to view A Tasteful Place, the Lagoon and meandering walkways and downtown Dallas.
• The Margaret and Jay Simmons Lagoon, a signature feature of A Tasteful Place and more than an acre, it sits just below the main garden and provides a large, natural body of water with a lighted fountain in the middle.
• The Carol M. Kelley Orchard and Patio, a variety of fruit-bearing trees suitable to the Texas climate surround a shaded patio.
• The Tory and Dick Agnich and Dodie Trescher Shaded Patio, on the southern end of the Pavilion, this adjoining patio provides seating for guests.
• The Ann Stuart Veranda at the Garden Pavilion, a covered front patio of the Garden Pavilion that looks directly over the four Potager Gardens.
• Kathy Messina and Gary Goodwin Garden Entrance provides a special entrance to a Tasteful Place for use during special events.
• The Tim Wallace Garden to Table Walkway, a wide center walkway from the Pavilion to the overlook, suitable for garden-to-table dinners.

Media interested in a sneak peek and tour on August 3 or August 10, may contact Terry Lendecker at [email protected], or arrange for another date.

Majestically overlooking White Rock Lake with clear views of the Dallas skyline, A Tasteful Place was designed as an ornamental garden by SWA Group, Buchanan Architecture and the Dallas Arboretum's Horticultural team. P. Allen Smith, television host and lifestyle expert, serves as a program consultant for the project.

The Margaret and Jay Simmons Lagoon and its adjacent landscaped gardens was an addition to the original project, taking Kevin Clark/Naud Burnett Landscape Architects and the Dallas Arboretum's Horticulture team two months to design. Overall, the entire project took six months to build, employing more than 35 local construction and trades.

A Tasteful Place is a collaborative effort of many alliances with individuals and groups around the city that are supporting the Dallas Arboretum with both development and programming including P. Allen Smith, award-winning food, lifestyle and garden expert and host of two public television programs. Smith is one of America's most recognized and respected garden experts, providing ideas and inspiration through multiple media venues, including as a regular contributor on The Today Show.

Programming includes a robust year-round calendar of activities:

• daily tastings of recipes developed from the featured vegetable of the week
• hands-on cooking classes and cooking demonstrations led by prominent chefs
• quarterly garden-to-table dinners
• nutrition presentations
• horticulture demonstrations
• parent/child cooking classes
• special events

The Arboretum still has additional ways donors can participate in A Tasteful Place, both in named features and program endowments. Those interested should contact the Arboretum at 214.515.6606 or visit dallasarboretum.org.

SOURCE Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden

Related Links

http://dallasarboretum.org