Vegans must be ecstatic, but they’ve got to be patient for a couple of months. On Thursday, August 10, the Dallas Arboretum was previewing its 3.5-acre A Tasteful Place and providing a progress report. But there was nary a fruit nor vegetable in sight. Instead there were land-moving machines, a crane hovering over the pavilion and loads of hard-hat types preparing the $12M garden.
Plans call for the work to be finished and the produce to be nestled in their new home in time as part of the 2017 Autumn at the Arboretum with a ribbon cutting on Tuesday, October 3, and the fundraising A Garden Gala Party on Sunday, October 15.
But don’t go thinking that the place is just going to be rows of herb and fruits. It was designed in the manner of a European potager to be lovely as well as productive. The Place’s centerpiece, Potager Display Gardens, is made up of four quadrants, surrounded by The Barbara and Bob Bigham Scenic Overlook with a flawless view of downtown Dallas and White Rock Lake, The Margaret and Jay Simmons Lagoon that is more than an acre, the 3,600-square-foot Charlotte and Donald Test Pavilion with 180-degree views of the garden designed for cooking classes, education program and special events, patios, promenades, stairways plazas, fruit trees and so much more.
Looking at the construction, Dallas Arboretum President/CEO Mary Brinegar in a floral jacket, Vice President of Gardens Dave Forehand and Pavilion architect Russell Buchanan in cowboy boots and hard hat explained the plans for the garden following its debut. The garden’s products will be used in the various restaurants at the Arboretum. If there is a surplus then they will provide it for offer it to food banks and other similar organizations.
When asked which vegetable topped their list of favorites, Mary said carrots; Russell said tomatoes; and Dave declared peppers, because they colorful and fun. Each will be have their favs on the menu in the years to come thanks to the following planting schedule:
- January and February — Beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cilantro, collards, garlic, kale, leeks, lettuce, mustards, onion, Pak Choi and Swiss chard
- March and April — Bush beans, cow peas, fava beans, pole beans, radish, soybeans and tomatoes
- May — Bush beans, corn, cow peas, fava beans, pole beans, potatoes, radish, soybeans and tomatoes
- June — Corn, eggplant, gourds, okra, peppers, sesame, squash, sunflower, tomatillo and zucchini
- July and August — Eggplant, gourds, okra, peppers, pumpkins, sesame, squash, tomatillo and zucchini
- September —Artichoke, beets, bush beans, cow peas, eggplant, fava beans, gourds, okra, peppers, pole beans, pumpkins, quinoa, sesame, soybeans, squash, Swiss chard, tomatillo, tomatoes, turnips and zucchini
- October — Artichoke, beets, bush beans, cow peas, eggplant, fava beans, gourds, lettuce, mustards, okra, Pak Choi, peppers, pole beans, pumpkins, quinoa, sesame, soybeans, squash, Swiss chard, tomatillo, tomatoes, turnips and zucchini
- November and December — Beets, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cilantro, collards, garlic, kale, leeks, lettuce, mustards, onion, Pak Choi and Swiss Chard
BTW, the gala is being co-chaired by Barbara Bigham and Robin Carreker with Diane and Hal Brierley serving as honorary co-chairs.