Greetings!
I am happy to report some good news: your phone calls and e-mails to your City Council representatives made a difference! The City has not only restored our stipend, but increased it to $95,862! A big round of applause goes to Councilmember Delia Jasso, who made the proposal, and to the Councilmembers who voted positively on the issue. Thank you also to the Park Board and the City Park and Recreation Department, who have been faithful champions of our facility and programming. And last but not least, thank you to our own board members, Barbara Hunt Crow, Harold Spiegel, and Rick Blanton, who went down to City Council with me to share the mission of Texas Discovery Gardens and encourage the Mayor and City Council to support us.
Thanks,
Melissa Martin, Executive Director Texas Discovery Gardens
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It's State Fair of Texas Time!
Texas Discovery Gardens is open with extended hours during the Fair: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Just $2 gets you into the Gardens and into our Butterfly House!
Monarch Tagging Demonstration: Daily at 11 am & 3 pm.
Butterfly Release Demonstration (inside Butterfly House): Daily at noon.
 Two art exhibits will be on display through the fair. "Bringing the Trinity River to Life: An Exhibition of Paintings Inspired by the Trinity River" features nearly 40 works by members of Studio Art & Soul. Five paintings have already been sold at this popular exhibit (including one just now during the fair)!
Fairgoers and yard art lovers don't want to miss the first Sculpture Exhibition inside the Rosine Smith Sammons Butterfly House & Insectarium. Stylized stone butterflies from Rob Meyers mix with whimsical ceramic statues from Dan and Lori Dudley. Steel sculptures stand next to stained glass pieces. Many styles and media are represented in the show, but they're only on view for a limited time-through the end of the State Fair of Texas.
Also on exhibit during the Fair is an overview of the Trinity River, including the health of our waterways, displays from Trinity River Audubon Center and the North Texas Master Naturalists, and a photograph exhibition. Dallas County Master Gardeners will speak on gardening topics. Find details here. |
Garden with your Phone
 The Texas Xeriscapes Garden in front of the Texas Discovery Gardens entrance now shows Water-wise steps on your Smart phone. The garden design won 2nd place in the State Fair Fall Garden Exhibition!
Using Bluetooth and Internet technology, take a self guided tour (with your iPhones, Blackberries and Android phones) of the Water-wise and Butterfly Display Garden. Explore the seven principles of Water-wise gardening and landscapes. By using the principles, you can enjoy beautiful eco-friendly landscapes with drought tolerant and adaptive plants that lower your water bills and reduce your overall carbon footprint. The principles include Planning and Design, Soil Amendments, Practical Turf Areas, Efficient Irrigation, Appropriate Plant Selection, Use of Mulches, and Appropriate Maintenance. Texas Xeriscapes LLC is a Water-wise Urban Landscape Design Company.
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Fall Preview: Don't Miss our Plant Sale Nov. 6, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Get here early for our limited selection of native perennials, trees and shrubs, hand picked for the Dallas-Fort Worth climate! Free admission to sale. 10% discount for members.
Before the sale, enjoy our Garden Walk: Perennials and Native Trees. 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Led by Director of Horticulture, Randy Johnson. Free with paid garden admission. |
A word from our friends: 'Chefs for Farmers' benefit dinner Oct. 17
 Local, sustainable and seasonal are more than hot epicurean buzz words for the chefs at The Mansion, Salum, Paraigi, Restaurant Ava, and Stephan Pyles. These words represent the best ingredients they have to prepare their amazing dishes.
Go beyond the restaurant with Chefs For Farmers, a market-to menu-benefit dinner that celebrates the local farmers that deliver those fresh ingredients. The farms (featured spots include Motley Farms, Eden's Garden, Tassione Farms, Barking Cat Farms and Caprino Royale) are expertly paired with chefs (Abraham Salum, Al Havens, Bruno Davaillon, Chad Houser, Janice Provost, Matt McCallister, Randall Copeland and Nathan Tate) who will create an enticing display of dishes.
Enjoy an intimate dinner with wine pairings at one long communal table where you'll get to know the chefs and their inspirations. Listen to the music of the Effinays while enjoying farm life just 20 minutes from downtown Dallas. Come out on Sunday Oct 17, for the best local fare in Dallas. |
Then, enjoy more local produce with Deep Ellum Outdoor Market
 The next Deep Ellum Outdoor Market celebrates Halloween on Elm Street, featuring the Better Block Project of Deep Ellum on Saturday, Oct. 30, from 11 am to 5 pm. In collaboration with the CityDesign Studio, the Outdoor Market will put forth its version of the Oak Cliff initiative to convert the 2700 block of Elm Street to an actual destination. Event coordinators will temporarily reduce the block to one lane for auto traffic, add a 6 ft bike lane, and double sidewalk size to accommodate pedestrians and extend patio spaces for bars and restaurants down the street.
Meanwhile, it will be business as usual for the Deep Ellum Outdoor Market, which will feature over 30 local vendors and live music by one man blues band Joe Tucker from Denton, TX.
Halloween on Elm Street will also feature additional fun activities, including a neighborhood walkabout and costume contest where you can march down the newly created Better Block sidewalks to the beat of a drum line from a local high school. There will be children's arts activities. "Slaughterhouse," a haunted house on Elm St., will open its doors during the daytime to provide scary thrills.
The Deep Ellum Outdoor Market is at 2820 Indiana Blvd, behind Cafe Brazil at the corner of Elm St and Malcolm X Blvd. Take the DART Rail's Green Line! |
A special thanks to the following donors for helping us grow!
Calloway's Nursery -- Stop by the Gardens and you'll receive a glossy butterfly flyer (featuring the most common butterflies found in the conservatory) courtesy of Calloway's! They generously donated copies for the fair.
Preservation Tree Services, Inc. -- Harold and crew over at Preservation Tree have evaluated and pruned many of our trees over the summer, including a large clean-up of the Shade Garden. They also delivered wood chips for mulch and helped us keep watch over the health of the garden's trees. Stay tuned to WRR 101.1 FM for Organic Moments throughout the day courtesy of Preservation Tree Services, as well as PTS-sponsored Garden Notes featuring Texas Discovery Gardens each Saturday morning at 8 am.
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Fair Goodies
at the
Gift Shop |
We have tasty treats, colorful kites, plants, and much more for sale during the State Fair of Texas.
Stained glass butterflies and dragonflies are back,
as well as colorful pinned tropical butterflies in natural and black frames.
| | Stop by our Gift Shop to purchase. Check out our clearance items, too! Open Daily 10 am - 5 pm. |
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