On October 3, the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden supporters and representatives cut a ribbon to officially open A Tasteful Place, an edible display garden complete with a newly developed lagoon and meandering walkways.

Mary Brinegar, Dallas Arboretum president and CEO, said, “It’s an honor to have you here as we open A Tasteful Place, a 3.5-acre display garden that is more than just fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers. It’s a $12 million project that completes the south-end of our garden with a gorgeous view of White Rock Lake and the downtown Dallas skyline. Plus, we’re pleased that we get to open A Tasteful Place during our nationally acclaimed fall festival, Autumn at the Arboretum, featuring more than 90,000 pumpkins, gourds and squash.”

Dallas City Councilmember Lee Kleinman read the special recognition from Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings proclaiming October 3 as A Tasteful Place Day.

Will McDaniel, Bank of America senior vice president and Dallas Arboretum executive committee member, said, “A Tasteful Place is a perfect fit for supporting programming that helps people learn about fresh food, how to harvest, clean and prepare it, and how to lead a healthy lifestyle.” Bank of America is the October programming sponsor. Then he thanked the many donors who helped the garden grow. For more information about sponsors, click here.

Preston McAfee, CEO of Rogers O’Brien Construction, whose firm is also the presenting sponsor of Autumn at the Arboretum festival, thanked those who built A Tasteful Place.

  • Rob Rider and Leah Hales, representing SWA Group, were the lead landscape designers for A Tasteful Place.
  • Russell Buchanan of Buchanan Architecture designed the magnificent Pavilion.
  • Rogers O’Brien Construction, served as the general contractor.
  • Kevin Clark of Kevin Clark/Naud Burnett Landscape Architects designed the lagoon and hillside.
  • John Armstrong served as the owner’s representative.
  • Dallas Arboretum’s Jenny Wegley and Mark Bullitt, along with Southern Botanical, orchestrated the horticultural design and installation.

Dallas Park and Recreation Board President Robert Abtahi said, “We oversee all of the parks in the City of Dallas, and the Dallas Arboretum has been one of our greatest partners who have operated in the black for more than 22 years. In construction projects, they have raised all necessary construction funds before they build anything, and the final project is always beautiful.”

Director of Parks and Recreation Willis Winters added, “The Dallas Arboretum has brought such acclaim to the City of Dallas, having been named as ‘One of the World’s 15 Most Breathtaking Gardens’ by Architectural Digest and cited by thousands of articles for its beauty. Congratulations for another amazing garden.”

Phillip Jones, VisitDallas president and CEO, applauded the Dallas Arboretum for being on Trip Advisor as a #1 choice for entertainment in Dallas for eight straight years and welcomed more than 1 million visitors to the garden last year. “Dallas welcomes more than 25 million visitors a year, and it’s an asset to have the Dallas Arboretum to show them.”

Dave Forehand, Dallas Arboretum vice president of gardens, said, “There are few other gardens in the country doing what we’re doing here and at this level. Our garden has tested and trialed plants for a number of years, but six years ago, the Horticulture staff started trialing and testing vegetables, even before we broke ground.” He acknowledged the Horticulture leaders and team.

A Tasteful Place is a collaborative effort of many alliances with individuals and groups around the city that support the Dallas Arboretum with programming. Partners include the Dallas County Master Gardeners and Master Wellness of Texas A&M AgriLife; El Centro College; The Department of Clinical Nutrition, UT Southwestern School of Health Professionals and The Center for Human Nutrition, UT Southwestern Medical Center; and Texas Woman’s University Nutrition & Food Sciences.

Programming includes a robust year-round calendar of activities with significant help offered by P. Allen Smith, A Tasteful Place program consultant, lifestyle and gardening expert and television host.

Activities and events in A Tasteful Place include the following:

  • daily tastings of recipes developed from featured vegetables in our garden
  • heritage recipe swaps on Thursdays
  • hands-on cooking classes and cooking demonstrations led by prominent chefs
  • garden-to-table dinners
  • horticulture demonstrations, such as container vegetable gardening
  • parent/grandparent and child cooking classes
  • nutrition presentations
  • and other special events

For the most up-to-date schedule of events, check www.dallasarboretum.org or the Arboretum’s social media sites.

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 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. 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. For more information, call 214.515.6500 or visit dallasarboretum.org