TCMGA Demonstration Garden

Our Herb Garden is to inspire you to grow herbs which can provide fresh herbs for cooking, medicinal purposes, their sheer beauty, and the joy of growing plants to attract pollinators.

This sprawling perennial garden winds gracefully along approximately 434 feet, weaving through the landscape with flagstone walkways and charming bridges. Hundreds of resilient perennials - carefully chosen for their adaptability to the Texas climate create waves of color and texture throughout the garden.

Our vegetable and herb beds showcase what thrives in Tarrant County and North Texas. Grown from seed and greenhouse transplants, they feature raised beds, containers, and drip irrigation. A square foot garden demonstrates abundant harvests in small spaces, while companion planting boosts yields and reduces pesticide use.

The main garden has an assortment of cacti and agaves, and yuccas. The crevice garden is a special type of rock garden with stone inserted vertically with allows rapid moisture drainage and keeps the leaves of the plants dry. It is planted primarily with sedums.

TCMGA presents this garden of ornamental grass specimens to demonstrate how they can be useful in a residential landscape. It was created to promote Texas grasses because of their heritage and beauty, as well as their low maintenance, drought tolerance and suitability to our climate and soils.

If you choose the right varieties roses are heat tolerant! And once well established some are drought resistant!!! Do not forget to research before you buy a new rose bush!

The Orchard and Berry Patch exists to demonstrate the varieties of berries, grapes and fruit trees that can successfully bear fruit in our challenging North Texas environment. New varieties are being added as scientific based research develops heat and drought tolerant vines, bushes and trees.

The TCMGA greenhouses, (Higgins & Green Works), shade house, and quarantine house exist to grow and provide plants for many entities. Propagation methods practiced range from seed starting, rooting cuttings, growing-on plugs & transplants, and more.

Pond plants require a different environment in which to establish roots and grow. Most ponds are found “in ground” and consist of various depths from the shallow edge to the deep center. Our pond is an above ground pond, therefore, to create a more natural environment, plastic shelves have been used to provide a shallow area where plants can grow.

The butterfly bed was established as an area to attract butterflies and other types of pollinators. We mainly concentrate on the butterflies that we know are in our area. To do this, nector plants are planted as well as host plants for various types of butterflies.

The purpose of a shade garden is to transform dimly lit, often overlooked areas into cool, tranquil retreats where plants that thrive out of direct sun can flourish. These spaces offer a respite from the intensity of a sunny yard and provide a lush, verdant environment.

The key to a successful shade garden lies in celebrating the rich variety found in leaf shape, color, and texture.

The Container Garden illustrates that every garden does not have to be in the ground or a raised bed. There are numerous varieties of containers of various shapes and sizes, which can allow space saving, help to manage disease and pests easier, reduce weeding, and enable the option to move them around a garden and/or indoors when weather changes.

The Mother Bed located opposite the Shade House at the Demo Garden, is being revitalized. The purpose of a Mother Bed is to provide perennial plants for other areas of the Demo Garden, other Master Gardner projects and the plant sale.

The Texas Native Garden circles the Red Barn and is a compilation of Texas native plants. This area is in the process of renovation and is a work in progress. Our vision for this area is to have only Texas natives for the home gardener to see what each native plant looks like in its growth so they can incorporate them into their home garden.

The enabling beds were made possible with funding provided by a grant from Chesapeake Energy. The elevated beds are for physically challenged gardeners who may not be able to bend over or work on their knees. A pergola in the center of the area provides shade for our gardeners and a few plants during our hot Texas summers.

The Compost Corner is in the back corner of the Demo Gardens under the shade of a big tree. We use a series of wire and wood bins to convert the plant debris and tree leaves from around the Demo Gardens into usable compost. The compost is then available to be used and added to plantings as needed throughout the Demo Gardens.

The Christine Senerote Memorial Garden was envisioned primarily as an inviting space to remember those Master Gardeners who served TCMGA faithfully and have passed on before us. Their names are etched on the bricks leading up to the main walk path, commemorating their memory.

The iris garden showcases lush stands of seasonal blooms surrounded by native greenery. These beds showcase the resilience and beauty of irises in North Texas, offering visitors a living display of sustainable gardening practices and vibrant colors.