Enthusiastic response to summertime “Cool Thursdays,” during which guitarists, flutists, accordion players and other musicians performed outdoor concerts at the Dallas Arboretum, will likely lead the organization to strike up the band again during warm weather months.
“We really learned that music is the perfect accompaniment to the gardens,” says Rebel Webster, public relations director for the Arboretum. Webster says crowds grew as word-of-mouth spread about the new attraction.
Music also will play a role in A Woman’s Garden, a 1.8-acre addition that will open Oct. 4. The garden’s debut is the headliner for events held in connection with Autumn at the Arboretum Oct. 4-Nov. 4.
This garden, intended as a celebration of feminine strength and delicacy, has been constructed in partnership with the City of Dallas and funds from the 1985 bond issue. The Women’s Council of the Dallas Arboretum has endowed $1.5 million to maintain the garden, which is designed as a series of “rooms” featuring particular plantings. It is the first garden within the Arboretum to be placed on the White Rock Lake side.
A Woman’s Garden provides a natural musical component with the inclusion of the Infiniti III Wind Harp. This bronze, titanium, silver and gold instrument will play as the winds blowing across White Rock Lake pluck at its metal strings.
Other highlights within the site include the Pensive Poetry Garden, an enclosed area meant to inspire rest and reflection; the Majestic Allee Stepped Fountain, a series of terraced pools simulating a river bed, and the Pulpit Garden, a heart-shaped overlook.
The Dallas Arboretum is located at 8525 Garland Road on the eastern shore of White Rock Lake. Call 214-327-4901 for details.
