May 19-26, 2017: A Week in Berlin, Germany
	March 30 - April 2, 2017: A Visit to San Antonio
	Return to the Index for 2017

On Thursday, April 27, Guy came up from San Antonio to visit us here in Dallas. We see him in San Antonio frequently, so it was nice to have him here in Dallas for a change. Guy has come just to hang out and get away from San Antonio, so we didn't plan much- except for a trip to the Dallas Arboretum (which is something Guy always likes to do when he comes to visit). All our pictures on this page will be from that visit to the Arboretum.

Getting to the Dallas Arboretum

The Dallas Arboretum is not too far from where I live over on Inwood- I'd guess about six or seven miles as the crow flies (see the map opposite)- but you can't get there as the crow flies because White Rock Lake is in the way. So you can either go through town and wind your way around the south end of the lake or you can take Mockingbird over around the north side of the lake. When Fred and I go there from the house, as we are doing with Guy today, the northern route is most direct.

In this closer view, you can see the south end of White Rock Lake and you can pick out the bike trail that hugs the lake shore almost all the way around. At the south end is White Rock Lake Dam and spillway, which takes the overflow water and sends it under Garland Road to continue on down to the Trinity River.

The bike path used to cross the top of the dam, but for one reason or another, the bike path was rerouted some years ago, and now it goes through some parkland and playing fields south of the dam, across the spillway, up Garland Road for a ways, and then back north along the lake shore.

You can also see a closer view of the Arboretum in this picture, and can begin to pick out some of the pathways through the gardens.

Finally, in this close-up of the Arboretum itself, you can see most of the major features- including the parking area just off Garland Road, the new administrative buildings, the restaurant and gift shop (all right near the parking lot) and, off in the middle of the gardens, the DeGolyer house (the former residence of the family that donated the land for the Arboretum to the Arboretum Society).

You can also see the maze of pathways that criss-cross the gardens.

The three of us actually took Mockingbird Lane all the way across town and across the bridge at the top of White Rock Lake to Buckner Boulevard, which we took south to Gaston Avenue. Then we came back southwest to the main Arboretum entrance. We usually make a circular transit of the entire Arboretum each time we visit, and we will do that today. We'll start out by going across the north side of the gardens and back to the Lay Family Garden. We will probably just walk with Guy to the entrance to the Rory Meyers Children's Garden but not go in. Then, we'll return to the entry along the Paseo de Flores.

So you can follow us on our tour through the Gardens, I'll use the diagram of the Arboretum that is on their website (although I've simplified it a bit by removing a lot of markers for places not important to our visit today. On this diagram, I'll mark the individual named gardens that we visited, which were:

1.   Trammel Crow Entry Plaza
2.   Palmer Fern Dell
3.   Jonsson Color Garden
4.   A Woman's Garden
5.   McCasland Sunken Garden
6.   Seay Magnolia Glade
7.   Rudchik Red Maple Rill
8.   Lay Family Garden
and the Paseo de Flores

We didn't take pictures in all the gardens, but for those where we did, there will be a little section below. Of course, we also visited the Art Fair that was going on in conjunction with ZimSculpt.

When we arrived at the Arboretum, we discovered that there was a special show going on. "ZimSculpt" was an exhibition of contemporary stone sculptures from Zimbabwe. The exhibition has already been sited at two other gardens in the United States, but this will be its first time being displayed anywhere in the southern US. We look forward to seeing the 101 sculptures as we walk through the gardens. Of course, with my penchant for recording everything, I hope to take pictures of all the sculptures. (Sadly, I discovered when I reviewed my pictures a few days later, that I had missed five of them.)

At the Trammel Crow Entry Plaza (1)

Some years ago, the Arboretum constructed a new main entry pavilion (1); it now consists of a large plaza with a couple of fountains enclosed on three sides by a gift shop, restaurant, the actual entry and an education building.

To get to the entry plaza, one walks down towards it from the parking lots. On days like today, when the gardens aren't crowded, you can park close by, and there is a set of stairs that leads down to the entrance (see picture at left). At the bottom of these stairs there is a water feature, and it is always a good place to stop for an initial photo (although today, for some reason, the fountain was not running).

When you come through the members' entrance you are at the top of this plaza with the gift shop and restaurant to your left and an information station and the education building to your right. The plaza opens up in front of you. We took two pictures here in teh entry plaza- one outside the plaza and one by the fountain inside:

Just Inside the Entrance

By the Entry Plaza Fountain

You can leave the plaza via the Paseo del Flores ahead of you on the right or you can take the walkway down to the Fern Dell and the west end of the Jonsson Color Garden that is found on your left past the restaurant; there was some construction going on that blocked the walkway down into the Fern Dell (2), so we chose to walk down the Paseo del Flores until we could turn and stop and visit the Jonsson Color Garden.

The Jonsson Color Garden (3)

The 6.5-acre Margaret Elisabeth Jonsson Color Garden, designed by Naud Burnett II, features large, sweeping beds of seasonal flowers and plants and is located along the northwest part of the gardens; it features three sections divided by walkways with another walkway surrounding the entire garden. The Color Garden is home to more than 2,000 varieties of azaleas; these border the Color Garden on the north and south and bloom lavishly in the spring (although now, at the end of April, they are way past their prime). Along the interior side of the walkway are seasonal plantings such as daffodils and tulips in the spring, a vibrant display of bananas and tapioca plants in the summer, brightly colored chrysanthemums in the fall.

Recently, the Arboretum hosted a show of bronze sculptures, and you've probably seen pictures of them on an earlier page. The Arboretum acquired one of the sculptures for permanent display- a statue of William Shakespeare that is always a nice backdrop for a picture or two- and it is located at the southeast border of the color garden:

At the Jonsson Color Garden

Will and Guy and I

Down near the Fern Dell, there is one interior garden called the Waterwise display, donated by Region IV of the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association. It provides a location for home gardeners to learn how to install and manage a low-water landscape. Usually, we go from the Color Garden directly into A Woman's Garden (4), but today we went back to the Paseo del Flores to visit the "art fair" that was going on in conjunction with the ZimSculpt exhibition.

At the Art Fair

This was the first time I can recall when there has been this kind of art fair here in the Arboretum. Certainly there have been numerous exhibitions of sculpture, treehouses, fairy tale dwellings, the Christmas Carousels, and so on that I have documented on various album pages ovver the last twenty-five years, but not a collection of artists' stalls where you could buy items right here in the gardens. There was also a small performance stage where a small ensemble was playing off and on during the day. Let me begin with a couple of movies:

A String Ensemble Performs (Mouseover Image Above for Video Controls)

Walking Through the Art Fair (Mouseover Image Above for Video Controls)

This small art fair reminded us very much of those that we visit frequently when we are in Florida, and we took a number of pictures of the fair both from the Paseo and while walking amongst the stalls. Here are some of those pictures:

(Click on Thumbnails to View)

It was a pleasure walking through the fair; we each found something interesting to purchase!

The McCasland Sunken Garden (5)

The 2006 contribution of Tom and Phyllis McCasland, the McCasland Sunken Garden, is evidence of their commitment to the continued expansion of the Arboretum. The garden, designed by Warren Johnson, has a central aisle, lined with Italian jardinières, which leads down a series of steps towards a sunlit grass court surrounded by seasonal plantings.

The McCasland Sunken Garden

At the top of the garden, there are stairs leading down to a water feature and a bronze. The Chico y Chica de la Playa sculpture and accompanying fountain provide a tranquil setting for the many weddings that take place in this secluded garden.

Here are three other pictures that we took here in the Sunken Garden:

The Seay Magnolia Glade (6)

Along with her husband Austin, friend of thee Arboretum Pauline Neuhoff wanted to dedicate a quiet and special garden to honor her mother, and the beautiful Nancy Clements Seay Magnolia Glade was the result. The garden features lush green grass, beautiful white blooms and the peaceful sounds of running waterin a long, meandering narrow stream.

The Beautiful Seay/Rudchik Fountain (Mouseover Image Above for Video Controls)

At the top of the glade, there is a meandering waterway and picturesque lily pond amid a collection of beautiful flowers. The waterway comes down to the most intricate fountain in the Arboretum, and it has become a favorite place for us to stop and take pictures and movies. It is a soothing space with incredible scenery and the sounds of birds chirping and the bubbling rush of the fountains’ water.

I made a short movie while we were standing here, and you can use the player at left to watch it.

Designed by Landscape Architect Warren Hill Johnson, the glade takes on different colors and textures throughout the year, but with the significant color within to be varied plantings of green and white. Framed by the 45-foot magnolias of the Dallas Arboretum’s Magnolia Allee, the glade is gently enclosed by 35 new ‘Teddy Bear’ southern magnolias. Butterfly Japanese Maples, large white flowering camellias, loquats and many others add to the palette of interesting horticulture within this peaceful garden. At the east end of the allee there is one more circular fountain and an archway that leads through to the Nancy Rudchik Red Maple Rill.

The Nancy Rudchik Red Maple Rill (7)

The Nancy Rutchik Red Maple Rill opened five years ago, and quickly became one of our favorite stops on our visits to the Arboretum. This two-acre garden features a stream and a collection of over 80 varieties of signature Japanese Maples planted along it. Today, we walked down to the picturesque bridge that crosses the Rill's stream; the stream is so well done that it appears quite natural.

This premier addition to the Arboretum was designed by Rowland Jackson. Key design elements of the Nancy Rutchik Red Maple Rill include a new entry off the Paseo de Flores and a large gathering plaza that overlooks a re-circulating creek and numerous waterfalls. Opened in fall 2011, this charming area also includes a series of paved walkways and a stone bridge connecting the Martin Rutchik Concert Stage and the Performance Lawn to the Magnolia Allee. An especially large weeping Japanese maple, nearly 100 years old, anchors the center of the garden.

Entry to the Concert Stage

The Performance Lawn

We left the Red Maple Rill to go to the east end of the Arboretum to walk through the Lay Garden.

The Lay Family Garden (8)

The Lay Family Garden (formally known as the Lay Ornamental Garden) is a 2.2-acre garden filled with hundreds of perennials and woody plants. The Lay Family Garden provides visitors with a newly-interpreted garden at the northeast end of the Arboretum property (not counting the Rory Meyers Children's Adventure Garden, which is further northeast).

The garden sports a new, walk-behind waterfall, which feeds the large lily and koi ponds here in the Lay Garden, and it is interesting in that there are actual fossils embedded in the stone walls of the waterfall. The recent renovation of the Lay Garden, at which time the fossil waterfall was added, was a major one. The pathways leading to the garden and the actual entrance had to be reworked. Three new entrances now feed into the garden from the Paseo extension linking the Camp House Circle with the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden. The Arboretum preserved the former entry courtyard, but it has now become a pocket garden and more of a destination than a passageway. Maintained and reworked were the large lagoon for aquatic plants, a stream with three weirs and the Koi pond.

The Pocket Garden Entry

The Lay Family Garden

We left the Lay Garden via the new entrance off the Paseo to walk back along the main garden walkway towards the entrance.

Along the Paseo del Flores

As we walked along the Paseo from the Lay Garden back towards the Arboretum entrance, we made a side trip down the Crepe Myrtle Allee to Toad Corners, and we also stopped by the various test beds and test gardens that are on the south side of the Paseo.

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We took a number of pictures along the Paseo, all the way from the easternmost Lay Family Garden to the test beds right near the entrance pavilion. Most of these picture showcase the flowers and plants on display here in late April, but you can also see views of some of the buildings within the Arboretum- namely the DeGolyer Estate and the Alex Camp House.

In some of these pictures, you'll also see the Art Fair in the background.

To allow you to flip through these pictures quickly and easily, I've put them in a slideshow, and that show is at right.

To move from image to image, just click on the little arrows in the lower corners of each one. There are 23 pictures in this particular slideshow, and you can refer to the index numbers in the upper left of each slide to see where you are in the show. I hope you find the pictures worthwhile; the Arboretum is always an amazing place.

We got back to the Trammel Crow Entrance Plaza in late afternoon, after having spent three hours or so here in the Gardens. They are always an interesting and beautiful place to visit.

The ZimSculpt Exhibition

I mentioned above that the "ZimSculpt" exhibition is currently on display here in the Arboretum; it features more than 100 sculptures created by several dozen contemporary Zimbabwean artists. Known as Shona sculpture, these contemporary pieces are carved from various types of serpentine and semi-precious stone, often weighing tons, and can be as large as seven feet tall.

The ZimSculpt organization is passionate about promoting the work of some of the finest Zimbabwean sculptors. Not only were some 101 completed pieces on display throughout the gardens, but two Zimbabwean artists, Passmore Mupindiko and Aron Kapembeza, actually worked on new commissions in a large kiosk near the Art Fair, demonstrating their artistry by carving statues using chisels, hammers, files and sandpaper, while guests watch and learn about this art.

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ZimSculpt, founded in Zimbabwe under the guidance of art collectors Vivienne and Joseph Croisette, has become the world’s premier exhibition of modern Zimbabwean sculpture. Interestingly, Zimbabwe means “house of stone,” and the country has a long history of stone carving beginning with artists from the 1950s who taught their children how to carve sculpture from stone.

As I mentioned earlier, I got into my "documenting mode" during our visit to the Arboretum today, and tried to photograph each of the 101 sculptures. Considering that I didn't have a map of where each one was located, I think I did pretty well to find all but five of them. I have created a slideshow of these photographs, since there are so many of them.

On each slide, you'll see the sculpture itself, along with its title, its creator, and the medium (usually some kind of stone). As with all the slide shows in this album, you can move through the pictures using the little arrows in the lower corners of each slide. And you can refer to the index numbers in the upper left of each slide to track your progress through the show.

According to Mark Wolf, Dallas Arboretum board chairman, “We are always looking for unique displays that will do well in a garden setting, and the magnificent contemporary stone statues will fit perfectly within our various gardens. We’re also thrilled that it will be the first time this exhibition will be featured in the southern U.S., thus attracting visitors from the area.”

Wolf added, “These unique art pieces resonate with roots from their African homeland. These statues are strong and delicate, stark and complex, contemporary and exquisitely handmade. Everything is done by hand at a high level with tools to carve these stones, and when guests see these artists chisel stone in person, they will see how much work goes into creating these works of art.” I am pretty certain that you, the visitor to this photo album, have not seen this exhibition, and so I hope that you find the pictures I took to be an acceptable substitute for actually seeing it in person.

Guy stayed with us for four days, but other than the pictures on this album page, we took no others of note during his visit.

You can use the links below to continue to another photo album page.

	May 19-26, 2017: A Week in Berlin, Germany
	March 30 - April 2, 2017: A Visit to San Antonio
	Return to the Index for 2017