Everyone was in various stage of election recovery on Thursday, November 6. In the shadow of downtown Dallas, CitySquare had celebrated the official opening of its much-needed 52,000-square-foot expansion with a host of dignitaries and supporters like County Court Commissioners Clay Jenkins and John Wiley Price.
Over at the Dallas Arboretum, the annual Writer’s Garden commenced starting at 9:30 with writers galore. Here’s a report from Rosine Hall:
A Writer’s Garden
“The Dallas Arboretum was in full fall color for ‘Treasured Legacies’, the eighth annual A Writer’s Garden Literary Symposium and Luncheon presented by the Women’s Council of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. Attendees got an extra bonus because it was also the preview day for the 12 Days of Christmas exhibit which opens November 16.
“With three noted authors, the program featured vivid portraits of two of the most widely read and beloved writers in literature and compelling personal stories exploring our gardening heritage. Each speaker had captivating and varying stories to share from their books.
“Greg Grant, a seventh generation Texan and co-author of Heirloom Gardening of the South, lives in deep East Texas in an old dogtrot house of his great-grandparents. He renovated it through the years and transformed the grounds with heirloom gardening from seeds that have been passed down through the generations. He has dedicated his entire lift to gardening, nature and family and has successfully introduced dozens of plants to the Texas nursery industry.
“Kelsey Mullin is the Director of Public Programming and Education for the Mount and author of The Mount: Edith Wharton’s Home. Edith Wharton was the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for The Age of Innocence. Mullin shared the transformational effects of Wharton’s magnificent home and gardens on her success as a writer.
“Author Kim Wilson’s new book At Home with Jane Austen was published less than two months ago.
“’Jane’s life was deeply influenced by her surroundings and travels in Southern England,’ said Wilson. ‘The importance of house and home to her characters is a noted hallmark of her brilliant and endearing stories.’
“Their books were available for purchase and were bought by the armload! Several were sold out before the program even began.
“The event was chaired by Dorothea Meltzer. Marena Gault is president of the Women’s Council.
“Proceeds from the event make possible the continued expansion and improvement of A Woman’s Garden. Since 1986, the major goal of the Women’s Council has been the design, construction, funding and endowment of A Woman’s Garden, the centerpiece garden of the Arboretum. A Woman’s Garden is the only public garden in the nation conceived by women, funded by the efforts of women and dedicated to the spirit of women.”
* Photo credit: Danny Campbell