Spring is in full swing and what better way to celebrate than a walking tour of some of White Rock and East Dallas’ most beautifully blooming gardens?
The annual White Rock East Garden Tour features a look at nine homes in Forest Hills, Little Forest Hills, and Casa Linda Estates.
The garden tour started in 2002 as the brainchild of Jim Witter, Marva Wescott, Dione Lineberry, and Donna and Jeff Mason, featuring just the Casa Linda Estates neighborhood. The following year, Little Forest Hills came on board, and by 2008, it was a three-neighborhood affair.
Tour co-chair Stacie Collins, who is heading up this year’s event with Lisa Cook, said this is a chance to allow the public into fabulous backyards and view some of the city’s finest gardens.
“We give you exclusive access to get up close and enjoy their unique beauty,” Collins said. “There are a lot of active gardeners in this area; that’s one of the reasons people buy homes in this neighborhood. We bought the yard. We have a little mini-arboretum out back.”
This year’s White Rock East Garden Tour is set for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 15.
Garden Makers
The neighborhoods on this year’s tour feature their own unique characteristics, Collins said. Casa Linda Estates is known for its culture of gardeners and plant enthusiasts, offering a mix of established and evolving garden spades, she said.
Forest Hills sits on a wooded area around the lake and features large lot sizes. Homeowners call it “our home in a forest,” Collins said.
Conversely, Little Forest Hills has small lots with high-density gardening concepts, highlighting a creative flair.
“We always try to find things that are unique,” Collins said of selecting the homes for the tour. “Right before COVID, one of the homeowners put in artificial turf. There are fewer bugs and it cools your yard. Xeriscape is really popular right now. The bungalows and backyard areas people have created are just amazing. Some people have chickens. We want to inspire people.”
Hilary Killam, owner of Moss + Lichen Landscape Design, is sponsoring the event to showcase some of her company’s handiwork around the neighborhoods.
“Some of the most beautiful things about East Dallas are our trees and our gardens,” Killam said. “We do live right next to the Dallas Arboretum after all. I think we have such diverse sunlight because of all of our old trees, so we have these amazing shade gardens but also equally amazing full-sun xeriscapes. I love the contrast. I don’t really think there are rules. So when I design a project, a house might have both zones, so it’s fun to have the contrast of a Japanese Maple and ferns in one bed with yuccas and salvias in another.”
When the COVID pandemic arrived in 2019, Dallasites began spending more time in their backyards, social distancing and creating restful spaces where people could gather safely.
“We’re seeing more and more young people who are enthused about gardening,” Collins said. “Any time you can get in the dirt and get outside, it’s therapeutic. That’s how I kept my sanity during COVID.”
Gardening also helps with fitness and wellness, Killam added.
“There is something spiritual about creating natural habitats that help the earth,” she said. “Last year after a full season of gardening, I hiked an eight-mile trail in Maine at Acadia National Park. I definitely think it helps your fitness and your peace of mind, too.”
Two additional sites that are “near and dear” to the White Rock East neighborhoods — Ferris Cemetery and Herbert the Bodark — also will be featured on the tour.
Get Your Tickets
Garden tour tickets are $15 and include access to all nine homes and a plant sale. Proceeds are split between the three neighborhoods and used for beautification projects. A map of tour locations will be emailed to ticketholders the day before the event.
“It’s so wonderful when you go into someone’s yard and you have no idea what you’re going to see,” Collins said. “I remember one house several years ago in Little Forest Hills and they had the most beautiful artichokes and peas in their front yards. It’s not just flowers and trees.”
But wait, there’s more!
Each home on the tour also will showcase the handiwork of local artisans. Pieces include abstract sculpture, landscape paintings, illustrations, jewelry, and stonework.
Those who can’t make the tour can still stop by the plant sale from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on May 15 at Casa Linda Park (9302 Alta Mira Drive).
“This year’s plants include a unique selection of perennials, grasses, succulents, and ornamental trees that are hard to come by anywhere else in Dallas,” Collins said.
Gardening experts will be on hand to answer questions and help homeowners choose the right plants for their gardens.
