Dallas Arboretum
DALLAS ARBORETUM: A Rainbow on Earth When your knowledge of greenery is limited to the scraggly plants sprouting in your windowsill pots, dispel your ignorance with a colorful discovery at the shoreline of the White Rock Lake of East Dallas: the Dallas Arboretum.
You can be enthralled on any day of the week throughout the year, from 9.00a.m.to 5.00p.m. Note: The doors are closed on the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day.
THE PLACE 8525 GARLAND ROADDALLAS, TX 75218 PHONE NOS. 214-515-6500 ENTRY FEES ADULTS 65 and over: $ 7ADULTS: $ 8CHILDREN: 3 to 12 yrs.- $ 5CHILDREN 2yrs. & below: No Fees.MEMBERS: No Fees. GROUP ADMISSIONS For costs and advance registration call Å 214-515-6512 Special Discounts on tickets for a group of 20 or additional persons. These must be bought prior to visit. MEMBERSHIP FEES Call the Membership Director 214-515-6546 There are different fees for the various levels, starting at $ 60. [At each level of membership you get special privileges, such as discounted tickets]
Reaching Your Destination: Whether you are coming from the Lovefield Airport or cruising along from the city centre, you need not peer at road maps. Just note down the detailed route directions from the Arboretum’s.
• If you don’t have your own wheels, you can hop onto the DART bus, which will take you directly to your destination. For stop locations and timings, call 214-979-1111.
•
On festive occasions and days of special events, there is
a free shuttle service from the YMCA at the junction of Garland
Road and Gaston Avenue. .
Timings of Shuttle Service:
Saturday
10.00a.m. -5.00p.m.
Sunday 12.00p.m. -5.00p.m.
Monday 10.00a.m. -5.00p.m.
Parking Facilities:
• As a member, you can give your vehicle a free rest in
the parking site, while non-members need to pay $5 for each
vehicle. There are separate bays for buses and transports of
physically challenged visitors.
• If you don’t wish to leave your transport unattended, the fees for Valet parking are $7 for members & $9 for others. This facility can be availed of at the entrance of Lakeland Drive on major event days and during festivals.
Strolling Around
Whether you decide to wander around on your own, or take a guided tour, you need not go hungry! Box Lunches are offered, for different age groups, at nominal fees. You can also dine comfortably for a rental fee of $375 (min.3hrs.) at the DeGolyer Tea Room and the Camp House. Garden Discipline As a Visitor, you must adhere to the rules:
•
You must refrain from collecting any form of flora or fauna.
• Also, under no circumstances should you tease any
of the denizens.
Furthermore, you must not act like Tarzan and clamber
onto trees or pose in the middle of a flowerbed while taking
a photograph.{Note: There are special rules / fees for photography;
call 214-515-6500}.
No entry is permitted for a pet in any form, with
the exception of Guide Dogs.
Leave all your toys and sports kits at home as playing
any game is likely to seriously harm the foliage.
No wheels are permitted here, not even bicycles,
so lock it in its spot at the public parking site.
If you wish to listen to music or keep track of the
latest NBA game, ensure that the volume of your tape or radio
is strictly within your own ear limits.
Fountains are installed strictly for your admiration—do
not splash around in them.
The Floral Residents During all seasons, you can discover the magical colors of the rainbow within the premises of the Dallas Arboretum.
The vibrant colors specially come alive in the spring, when thousands and thousands of azaleas pop out to greet you in all their glory in a variety of color palettes. A unique hybrid displayed here is the Huang Collection, for the sight of which otherwise you would have to travel to China.
Autumn envisages the fall of leaves, but here you can delight in the blossoming of pretty chrysanthemums, with rich green leaves.
A famous resident is the violet Torenia, commonly known as the “Wishbone Flower”, which can stand upto the fiercest rays of the sun. If you’d like to grow this award-winning “Top Pick of 2005”.
Another exceptional flowering plant is the balloon flower, which has the grandiose botanical name of “Platycodon grandiflorus”. This plant gets its nickname from its buds, which ‘inflate’ just before blossoming into five-petalled flowers. The petals are of varied colors, such as blue, pink, white, and light purple, and its height spans a range from less than 10 inches to over 35 inches.
At one of the Arboretum’s plant trials, the ‘Komachi’ variety of the balloon flower survived the extreme humidity of the summer months and its blue buds blossomed beautifully. This and other novel varieties are grown here in special beds, before they are available at your local nurseries.
Wildlife Denizens Amidst the psychedelic surroundings, you can hear the twittering of feathered friends, get enthralled by dainty butterflies of every hue, and unexpectedly come across creepy-crawlies. You will also encounter chattering squirrels waving their bushy tails as they scamper up trees.
Horticultural Education The ancient ‘Gurukul’ educational system of imparting knowledge in the midst of nature’s sylvan surroundings is revived on the vast acres of the Arboretum, where the indoor classes at the Trammell Crow Visitor Education Pavilion are supplemented by outdoor field trips.
Adults can learn about pruning, landscape designing, perennials and garden
vegetables, and even how to keep dogs from harming your blooms. Whether your favorite past time is making floral arrangements, painting stained glass, or creating ceramics, you can register your name for the many classes held at the Arboretum. A ‘Special Interest’ class introduces you to the principles of Yoga.
Children of all age groups can learn about butterflies and insects, flowers and their parts, as well as science topics like photosynthesis. Those who love the outdoors can haul their backpacks and attend the summer camps. (Call 214-515-6540 for details)
Floral Tip: A not-to-be-missed event is the monthly “Arboretum After Dark”, which you can enjoy if you are 21 and above (so bring your ID!). As you meander along the many trails, guzzle on cocktails, which are named after the blossoms.
For information on tickets call 214-515-6519. {Note: Irrespective of the vagaries of nature’s elements, the show must go on…so no refunds!}
For Volunteers: If you think its heaven to be amongst flora and fauna, you are welcome to become a trained volunteer in the field of your choice, for a few hours every day. So call right away at 214-515-6560.
Additional Facilities: Take your wedding vows at any one of eight picturesque garden sites. Your blushing bride can dress up in her exquisite gown at the Brides Room in the Camp House, or at the VIP room in the Trammell Crow Pavilion (from Monday to Friday), but ensure you make advanced rental registrations. Facilities include seating arrangements, security, rehearsal times, coordinators and caterers. So leave it to the floral experts and call the Wedding Coordinator at 214-515-6511.
Planning another type of celebration Even if it is just a get-together of family members or you wish to host a business party, let the Arboretum’s impeccable lawns and naturally scented gardens be the venue. You can take a tour of the venues by prior Appointment at 214-515-6569.
Gift Shop At the Hoffman Family Gift Shop within the Arboretum, make a delightful perusal of horticultural books, souvenirs and gardening equipment. Pay for your purchases with your credit card. Liked an item, but decided to buy it later No problem! Call from home and place a request for that item at 414-515-6576.
So after having a great time in the vibrant premises of the Dallas Arboretum, you can head home with the wonderful feeling of having an in-depth know-how about all things horticultural!
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