Started in 2011, the Master Gardener’s (MG) Garden demonstrates the beauty and sustainability of a garden that relies on native and well-adapted plants. Located near the Texas Discovery Gardens’ (TDG) main entrance and butterfly house, the garden supports the mission of TDG to provide horticultural education.

Before the pandemic interfered, the garden welcomed an average of 80,000 visitors per year including adults, families, and school children on field trips. Since the project is educational in nature, the garden maintains a signage program with plant names and brief sustainable gardening tips.

Planned with low maintenance in mind, the MG Garden is based on the Texas Superstar® and Earth-Kind® programs developed by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. These science-based guidelines promote the best horticultural practices for our area, including soil preparation, water use, and plant selection.

Consistent with TDG practices, the garden is maintained without chemical pesticides or fertilizers. The garden is also a certified Monarch Waystation, and many of the plants host caterpillars and provide nectar for butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. As the tree canopy continues to grow, the garden demonstrates increased use of shade-tolerant plants.

Our primary goals for 2023 are to remove invasive plants that flourished during the pandemic, reduce overgrown perennials to make room for new plant varieties, replace plants and bulbs that did not survive recent freezes, and provide additional plant identification and horticultural information to the public through an easy-to-use cell phone application.

A complete list of plants that are grown in the garden can be viewed here.

MG volunteers work in the MG Garden on most Thursdays, providing a great opportunity for new gardeners to learn from experienced gardeners. They work in the mornings during the spring, summer and fall and in the afternoons during winter. If MGs want to participate, they can reach out to the project leaders. The project leaders’ contact information is available on the Dallas County Master Gardener Association (DCMGA) Members Only website under Master Gardener Resources.