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Secrets from the Garden
Chandor Gardens Newsletter - March 2018
It's beginning to look like spring! Bulbs are blooming, perennials are emerging from their winter slumber, and we have done quite a bit of landscaping and replanting. It's a perfect time to call and reserve your spot for photography. From bridal portraits to children's photos, the gardens serve as a beautiful backdrop for your special memories.
The ice storm in February did a considerable amount of damage to some of our trees but clean-up has been done and we are taking it as an opportunity to improve upon things and to refresh the Garden. Sadly, we did lose the stately, two-hundred year old, Cedar Elm tree around which Douglas built his Courtyard/Silver Garden so long ago. Our plan is to plant another large tree in the same location; not the easiest or least expensive solution but most definitely one that is in keeping with the history of Chandor Gardens.
The Chandor Gardens Foundation has pledged a portion of the proceeds from their upcoming April 28th Gala event, "A Night in Old Hollywood," to help with the costs of replacing the Courtyard tree. Walk the red carpet, dressed in your finest, for an evening of wonderful music, fabulous food and drink, costumes, paparazzi, prizes, and surprises! Tickets can be purchased at the Gardens or on-line at http://www.chandorgardensfoundation.org/. Remember, proceeds from this event will go a long way in helping to restore the beauty and much needed shade to Douglas' Silver Garden.
Our annual Spring Fling will be held on April 7th from 10a.m. to 3p.m. Once again, admission is only $1 per person and you will have the opportunity to shop directly from local artisans and craftsmen set up throughout the gardens, all the while being serenaded by live musical talent! Shep's Place Food Truck will be here serving up wonderful food and drink as well. There are still a few vendor spots open so if you're interested in sharing your talents with us email .
Keep up with us on Facebook and we’ll keep you posted there too.
See you in the Garden,
The Chandor Gardens Staff
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Spring Fling at Chandor Gardens
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Saturday, April 7th, 2018
10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Admission $1 per person
Our annual Spring Fling event is just around the corner! Please join us as we usher in the most beautiful season of the year here at the Gardens. Stroll through the Gardens, lush with blooms, while you are serenaded by live music provided by Anderson's Good Medicine, Love Never Fails Music, and many more talented musicians. Shep's Food Truck will be on hand providing yummy treats throughout the day and J.J. the Clown will entertain the kids with balloon animals and face painting.
The 2018 list of talented artists and craftsmen grows larger each day and includes:
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- Kent Bean – Bird Houses Unique
- Paula Campbell – Glass Art
- Catherine Cox – The Silver Importer (Jewelry)
- Samantha Wright – Candles
- Allyson McBride – Lu La Roe Clothing
- Jennifer Dailey – Dailey Chalk by Design
- Greg Jones – Custom Crafted Coin Rings
- Stephany Loveday – Forget Me Not Jewelry
- Brittney Pattillo – Soap Loves Company
- Jill Harper – WH Wood Crafts
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- Deana Cornelson – KD Creations
- Samantha Beyl – doTerra Essential Oils
- Beverly Freeman – Artwork
- Tammie Webster – Tammie Webster Photography
- Pamela Jaussi – Paintings, Painted Vases
- Shayna Littrell – Watercolors, Oil Paintings
- Stephen and Juanita Barry – Paintings
- Rachel Allison – Usborne Books and More
- Parker County Master Gardeners
- Elaine Beachy – Pottery
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We're still accepting vendors for the event and, don't forget, booth space is FREE! Vendor's can sign up by emailing or calling 817-613-1700.
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Letter from Chandor Gardens Foundation President
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Romance! Glamour! Join us for A NIGHT IN OLD HOLLYWOOD! The Chandor Gardens Foundation invites you to a Gala to support Chandor Gardens. This event honors the legacy and times of Douglas and Ina Chandor who lived the high life in New York City during Hollywood's golden era. Come dance to the Big Band music of the 19 piece orchestra, Dynamic Swing Machine. For the adventurous, we urge you to come dressed as Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, or Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin -- be a Star and win the costume contest! Walk the red carpet, be photographed by the Paparazzi, indulge. More information and tickets...
You all know about the recent ice storm and the damage to trees in Parker County. Part of the proceeds for the evening will go towards replacing the iconic, 200 year old Cedar Elm tree in the Silver Garden behind the Chandor home. Alas, it was dealt a fatal blow recalling words in Douglas' journal from a 1939 hail storm: "God! What a disaster!," a comment echoed on other occasions when he was forced to contend with the challenges of gardening in Texas. It is a reminder that Chandor Gardens is an historic treasure that needs and deserves our support.
Elizabeth Lawrence
President Chandor Gardens Foundation, Inc.
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Yoga Classes
Tuesdays & Thursdays
5:30 to 6:30 pm
Fee: Donation based
Led by: Loretta Benham
Instructor Loretta Benham offers yoga classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Chandor Gardens. Loretta's mix of energetic sequences incorporated with stillness through breath work and meditation to quiet the mind will provide a healthy addition to any workout regimen.
Bring your mat and wear comfortable clothing. In inclement weather, classes will be held in the Great Room.
For more information call 817-597-1503 or 817-613-1700.
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Dragon Fountain Restoration
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One of the most iconic features of Chandor Gardens is the beautiful Dragon Fountain, constructed in the 1940's by Douglas Chandor using antique Dragon statues found in New York City, Coke and 7-Up bottles, colored marbles, and his own handmade ceramic tiles. Time and the elements have taken a toll on this important feature of the Gardens. In 2009 Fort Worth artist Michael Pavlovsky restored the original statues, which were placed in the home for preservation, and replaced them with bronze replicas. Since then, the remaining original fountain has continued to deteriorate prompting us to make the decision to reconstruct the entire feature. Once again, we have contracted with Michael Pavlovsky (pictured below) for this important restoration project.
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Born in Dover, Delaware, in 1957, Michael began his lifelong pursuit as a student of painting and sculpture under Patrick Carter in 1972. Having earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Landscape Architecture from Texas A & M University in 1982, he was awarded a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of North Texas in 1990.
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Michael's work has been included in over ninety juried and invitational exhibitions. A commission to create a sculpture to serve as the central metaphor for the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, is one of his most notable works. Movement to Overcome (pictured above) was in place for the opening of that museum in 1991, constructed on the site of the Lorraine Motel, site of Martin Luther King, Jr's assassination.
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We invite you all to come out to the Gardens and see the restoration as it progresses over the next month. Plans are in the works for a celebration when the work is completed. We'll be posting photos here and on our Facebook page so stay tuned!
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Bulbs
Every month, we try to come up with a Plant of the Month, but to be quite honest, March really is a hard month to choose just one with all the beautiful bulbs blooming all over in a sudden explosion of color. How does one choose? Do we bestow that honor on the delicate Narcissus clusters blooming in the shade? Or the sweet and tender Snowdrops that look like tiny bells on the verge of ringing? The happy Daffodils in varying shades of white, yellow, and orange adorning the drive to the Simmons gate? Or do we nominate the Tulips who are the very definition of life in their shocking scarlet blossoms bringing warmth to this burgeoning spring landscape? Honestly, readers, it's probably fair to name them all Plants of the Month as nothing says "spring" quite like a display of blooming bulbs, and there really is no better backdrop for vernal photography. However, Texas springs are fleeting at best, so come see these blooms while you can, because their beauty lies not only in their floral displays, but also in their evanescent qualities they share with this tentative (but short-lived) weather.
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Weddings
"Your happily ever after begins here."
Reserve your special day.
Dates are filling up fast for 2018 & 2019.
Contact us to schedule a tour. 817-613-1700 or
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Gift Shop
Take the Gardens home with you. There are postcards, note cards, prints, and t-shirts sporting fabulous images of Chandor Gardens in our gift shop. We feature unique handmade items by a variety of local artisans specializing in textiles, stained and fused glass, jewelry, painting, photography and much more.
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These pictures of the courtyard during and after the ice storm show the magnitude of the damage to the tree, and unfortunately it couldn't be saved. Additionally, we lost a few trees at the south end of the property due to their being top heavy from all the ice and the ground being so saturated. However, thanks to our dedicated and hard-working staff, the Parker County Master Gardeners, and Blue Ox Urban Forestry's services, we were able to re-open after just over a week! We are so appreciative of everyone's help and efforts to clean and restore Chandor Gardens to its beautiful glory, and in such a timely manner, too! Ultimately, we did sustain some damage, and lost a few trees, but the courtyard's Cedar Elm will be replaced and as for the rest, well, perhaps we can make lemonade out of these particular lemons and plant flowering perennials where there once was just shade. Perhaps Douglas's wisteria will get a little more sunshine this year.
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This really is the nature of life in a garden. Merriam-Webster defines "palimpsest" as "something reused or altered but still bearing visible traces of its earlier form", and truly, no word defines a garden of this age as well as that. Gardens are the epitome of change, whether it's due to the property changing hands, blights of nature, or the unpredictable Texas weather, and while that is the reality of a garden, we can still see and pay homage to Douglas Chandor's artistic vision in everything we do.
below: photo of the cedar elm before the ice storm
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Winter Daphne
There is a small and rather unassuming bush, located between the large waterfall and its smaller counterpart directly to the west, that many likely overlook, but is awaited with great anticipation among Chandor Gardens staff, known as the Winter Daphne. This bush is an evergreen, but its true delight is in its extremely fragrant blooms. Indeed, some have said its blossoms smell like Froot Loops cereal, while others remain staunch in their assertions that it smells similar to Jasmine blossoms, and still others even claim it is similar to Gardenia's sweet scent. While we all agree that these blooms smell amazing, we can't decide what it smells most like! So if you have time, perhaps come give it a sniff and see what you think it smells most like. You certainly won't regret it!
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Daffodils
Our Daffodils have been popping up all over Chandor Gardens this last week. They line the picturesque drive to the Simmons Gate at the south end of the property while a secretive cache of them lies almost hidden, tucked away back behind the waterfall, and all throughout, little clusters of them pop up here and there to remind us that spring has sprung!
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Hyacinths
If you have walked through the gardens recently and wondered, "What is that amazing smell?", the answer is almost certainly "Hyacinths". Hyacinths can range in colors from white to pink to purple and blue, but their scent is universally recognizable. However, as one of the very first bulbs to bloom in spring, they won't be around too much longer, so don't delay!
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Spring is not limited to ground cover in the Gardens. Currently, the Bradford and Cleveland pear trees are bringing one's gaze upward to take in the sight of their snowy blossoms, almost reminiscent of a wintry snowdrift. Trees are always a beautiful sight during spring in Texas and it's almost like a coordinated dance between the trees; just as the pear blossoms will start to fade in the next couple of weeks, the Redbud trees will be putting out their spring finery in various shades of pink and purple. We await those with great anticipation, while also enjoying the fluffy pear blooms going strong now in the gardens that signal the start of a Texas spring season.
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Contact Information
Chandor Gardens
711 W Lee Avenue
Weatherford, TX 76086
Karen Nantz
Manager
Phone: 817-613-1700
Fax: 817-598-4354
email:
Steven Chamblee
Horticulturist
email:
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Public Hours
Monday-Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Saturday, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Sunday, noon to 4:00 pm
Closed all City Observed Holidays
Admission
Adults: $5
Children 12 and under: Free
(Children must be accompanied by an adult.)
Private Tours and Events
Available year-round by appointment.
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