Dallas Arboretum Breaks Ground On Its Pioneering Farm-To-Table Potager Garden, A Tasteful Place

DALLAS, Texas (Summer 2016) – The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, recently named one of the world’s 15 most breathtaking gardens by Architectural Digest, broke ground on an $8 million farm-to-table garden on the southern part of the property on Monday, September 12 at 10 a.m. Designed as a ferme ornée through the inspiration of PBS home and garden expert P. Allen Smith, SWA Architects, Buchanan Architecture and the Dallas Arboretum’s horticulture team, the two-acre year-round food oasis named A Tasteful Place is one of the last two major gardens to conclude the Arboretum’s Master Plan and will open in the Fall of 2017.

“Potagers are productive working gardens that are also visually beautiful. The Dallas Arboretum has already reached the heights of being one of the world’s leading botanical gardens, and now is taking a pioneering step to incorporate a very useful and traditional European gardening tradition as one of its primary attractions,” said P. Allen Smith. “As a Dallas landmark and international destination, it will help reflect the movement to understand more about our food and where it comes from. A Tasteful Place will provide the opportunity for visitors to talk about resources and learn urban gardening firsthand with both modern methods and sustainable practices.”

Enjoying premium views of the Dallas skyline, A Tasteful Place will include an orchard, vineyard and raised beds of mixed flowers, vegetables, fruits and herbs, as well as shaded porches and patios overlooking White Rock Lake. The 3,600-square-foot Garden Pavilion will include a dining room and teaching kitchen to showcase local chefs preparing garden-to-table cuisine against 270-degree views of the garden. Smith has partnered with the Dallas Arboretum to develop programming that includes a year-round calendar of educational activities, tastings, horticultural demonstrations, workshops and public festivals.

Visitors will be able to go into the garden with the chefs to learn how to pick the edibles, clean and prepare them. Specialized classes will be offered on ethnic foods, mother and child cooking, as well as healthy and gourmet meals. Excess harvested food not used in cooking classes or tastings will be utilized by the Arboretum’s in-house catering.

“In North Texas, you can harvest food from your garden 12 months out of the year,” said Mary Brinegar, President and CEO of the Dallas Arboretum. “This fruit, herb and vegetable garden will be one of the most beautiful and active in the country. Programming for A Tasteful Place will help our entire community enjoy the bounty of educational value in this garden, which is also rich with our beloved Texas traditions of gracious hospitality and outdoor living.”

The Arboretum’s harvests in A Tasteful Place will be on display in four raised gardens in the Potager Quadrant intensively planted with climbing vegetables and vines, as well as other vegetables planted ornamentally and interspersed with flowers to attract pollinators and beneficial insects. 

Overall, the garden will have 13 features, which will also include The Wreath Pools, Lagoon Outlook Covered Patio, The Picnic Lawn Overlook, The Strolling Trail, The Orchard, The Orchard Patio, The Tasting Plaza, The Veranda at the Garden Pavilion, Central Stairway and Promenade, The Garden Gate Event Entrance and The Shaded Patio. 

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.

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.

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. 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 $8. 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.