Last week my husband and I visited family in Texas, and for this avid gardener, our timing proved perfect. After arriving Monday afternoon, we got our touristing off to an early start Tuesday morning at the lovely Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. With temperatures in the low 40s and a brisk breeze, we bundled up well to enjoy its beautifully landscaped 66 acres. My sister-in-law noted that in the height of summer the grounds would be crowded with visitors seeking relief from the heat on the shady lawns and paths, but today it was peaceful with few others about. However, the sun was sparkling, and we set out to revel in the arboretum’s annual Dallas Blooms event.

Among the massive beds planted in every shade and shape of tulip imaginable (some 500,000 blooms from over 120 varieties of spring bulbs) were scattered nine life-sized sculptures depicting The Great Contributors by sculptor Gary Lee Price. The subjects ranged from William Shakespeare to Mark Twain, Joan of Arc to Mother Teresa, and Ruby Bridges to Harriet Tubman.

We spent the entire morning wandering the paths under massive trees underplanted with ferns, blooming azaleas and other shrubs and flowers. Water features were scattered throughout, from large ponds and waterfalls to pretty tumbling brooks, with the largest water feature — White Rock Lake — providing the arboretum’s western boundary.

I appreciated how the designers of the garden interspersed more natural plantings with formal beds edging great expanses of lawn, and provided small, intimate gardens for quiet contemplation. The arboretum also boasts a concert stage and grassy amphitheater overlooking the lake; several test gardens; an education pavilion and terrace where one can take part in cooking demonstrations, art classes and gardening seminars; and several indoor and outdoor dining options.

We ended our visit with a tour of the DeGoyler House, the home of Everette and Nell DeGoyler, who donated the estate in 1972 to Southern Methodist University, which then sold the property to the City of Dallas. DeGoyler was involved in the oil industry but also was a lover of art and literature. The home was built in the late 1930s and designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, reflecting the DeGoylers’ love of Mexico and the Southwest.   It features spacious rooms for entertaining filled with art and furniture from the couple’s extensive travels.   Our docent pointed out the many interesting details of the house (including hidden doors and Mrs. DeGoyler’s expansive closet) and shared the philanthropic activities the couple undertook.

We stopped in for lunch at Restaurant DeGoyler, located in one wing of the house, and chose from a menu that included a range of salads, sandwiches and entrées, all very reasonably priced. Sister-in-law Barbara ordered the Salad Niçoise, which came with a very generous broiled salmon filet, while I opted for the seafood-stuffed avocado salad.   It brimmed with crab, scallops and shrimp, all very fresh and delicious. The gentlemen chose sandwiches, which also proved generous in their proportions and boasted great flavors.

We really enjoyed our visit to this beautiful Dallas jewel, and I would happily visit again, especially to see what the grounds look like in a different season. However, I can’t imagine it being any more lovely than as it was that day, dressed out in its springtime blooms.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor