Behind the Scenes at Dallas Blooms: Deep in the Hearts of Texans
Living in Texas has its benefits. While the northeast is blanketed in snow, Texas is sunny. While sub-zero wind chills envelop the Midwest, tulips, daffodils and azaleas are starting to show face in the Lone Star State. And blooming flowers mean Dallas Blooms, the largest floral festival in the Southwest, is around the corner.
Starting February 28, visitors can enjoy the Dallas Arboretum’s Texas-sized floral extravaganza, featuring more than 500,000 spring-blooming bulbs along with life-sized Texas-themed topiaries, entertainment, food and special activities celebrating our state.
Those topiaries include longhorns composed of roughly 2,700 plants each, horses containing 2,800 and 3,750 plants apiece and a star topiary boasting 2,375 plants. Texas-sized indeed!
We spoke to a member of the Arboretum’s horticultural staff to learn more fun facts about Dallas Blooms: Deep in the Hearts of Texans, running February 28 through April 12 at the Dallas Arboretum.
Q: Can you describe the different types of Texas-themed topiaries you’ll find in the garden?
A: There will be two longhorns, two horses and a large Texas star. A couple of small prairie dogs will also be on display.
Q: Which topiary is your favorite and why?
A: It’s hard to choose, but I really like the way the multicolored longhorn came out. There’s great contrast in the plant material that really catches your eye from a distance.
Q: What are the topiaries made of, and what type of flowers will be adorning them?
A: Each of the topiaries is formed from a metal wire frame that is stuffed with sphagnum moss. The longhorns and horses are planted with different varieties of ornamental grasses (carex, stipa and pennisetum), and the Texas star will be planted with red, white and blue petunias. There will also be large containers planted with seasonal color to embellish the areas where the topiaries sit.
Q: Have these topiaries ever been seen before in the garden?
A: These topiaries have been seen before. The horses faithfully pull Cinderella’s carriage every fall during Autumn at the Arboretum, and the longhorns and star made their grand debut in 2008.
Q: What’s your favorite flower that will bloom during Dallas Blooms this year and why?
A: Another tough question because there are so many gorgeous flowers blooming during this time. I enjoy the hyacinths because of their strong, sweet scent, which fills the garden, but it’s hard not to love the blooming cherry trees. Also, there’s just something about thousands of tulips in bloom that makes you forget for a second you’re in the middle of Dallas.
Q: Thinking in terms of the theme, how do you personally identify with Texas, and what are you most proud of as a native Texan?
A: As a native Texan, I can always get behind a Texas theme. I love that pride for our state runs deep in the heart of every Texan, no matter if you are from East, West or South Texas; the Hill Country; or the Panhandle. We are a large state that has diverse people, plants and terrain, but at the end of the day we’re all Texans, which is something to be proud of.
See how these Texas-themed topiaries come together in our behind-the-scenes video!
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