The images that follow are from my visit on that day.  for more information visit the Chandor Gardens page elsewhere on this web site. For a slide show of the images below simply click one of them.

Gallery

• Bowling Green

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  Bowling Green: This part of the garden is very European.

• Triple Tiered Fountain

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  Triple Tiered Fountain: Across from the south porch of the house.

• Boxwood Garden

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  Boxwood Garden at Chandor Gardens

• Stone of The Immortals

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  Note the marble Kuan Yin, Chinese Goddess of Peace.

• Moon Gate

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  Moon Gate: A traditional Chinese architectural structure.

• Dragon Fountain

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  Fountain was designed and built by Douglas Chandor.

Chase A. Fountain, © Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Texas Parks and Wildlife is forecasting a good year for wildflowers! After several below average seasons, the odds are good for a great showing this year.

This from their 3/23/10 News Release titled: Wildflowers Starting to Pop Up Across Texas

AUSTIN — Someone forgot to give Texas wildflowers a wake up call, but they are slowly rising from their winter slumber and promise a dazzling display in coming weeks.

In most parts of the state, a colder-than-average winter has gotten the wildflower season off to a slow start, but Texas Parks and Wildlife Department botanists predict a great year after the last several lackluster, drought-impacted years.

Chase A. Fountain, © Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

“It should be a really good year from what I’ve seen in the field due to all the rain, but some recent cold, cloudy weather might delay spring flowering a week or two,” says TPWD botanist Jackie Poole. “Look for good displays at places like Enchanted Rock, Inks Lake and Palmetto state parks where sandy soils contribute to a good mix of species. LBJ should have several fields filled with bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush soon.”

Recent reports from other TPWD botanists traveling highways such as U.S. 183 and Texas Highway 84 in warmer South Texas climes around Gonzales and Victoria indicated strong showings of bluebonnets, Indian paintbrush, tickseed, Drummond phlox, toad flax and baby blue eyes.

In parts of central and northeast Texas, Texans are already being treated to the colorful blooms of such flowering trees as redbuds, peach, pear and Mexican plum. Judging from the profusion of pink blooms on peach trees recently spied around Fredericksburg and Stonewall, barring late spring freeze like the one that occurred last year, peach lovers are in for a stellar season.

Some Wildflower Related Links

Brenham Texas Wildflower Watch

TxDOT Wildflower Reports

And, Don’t Forget

Chandor Gardens Spring Fling Weekend 2010 - Saturday, April 3rd 9:00am-6:00pm and Sunday, April 4th 1:00pm-4:00pm.

Chandor Gardens welcomes the 2010 season on April 3 & 4 with the annual Spring Fling Weekend. Admission for April 3rd is $10.00 for adults, $5.00 for ages 6-18 and 5 and under get in free, these prices include all of Saturday’s scheduled activities. On April 4th we roll back admission prices to just $1.00 per person, the original amount it would of cost to tour the gardens more than 3o years ago.  Read all about this event on their web site.

If your looking for a sure thing, Texas has its share of spring garden events. Several of the East Texas events feature big displays of Azaleas, and as a bonus, the dogwoods are also beautiful here in the Spring. Places like Austin and San Antonio are drier and that will be reflected in the gardens.  Both of these cities are in the Texas Hill Country. State Highway 16 from San Antonio to Kerrville and on to Fredericksburg is a grand ride in the Spring. The opportunities for side trips from the Austin area are endless. San Angelo and the International Waterlily Collection is  the statistical outlier. Never been there, but this might be the year I finally make it.

Call this my Spring drive 2010 wish list. Ordered by approximate distance from the DFW Metroplex. I hope this list inspires some of you to get out and travel.

Dallas Blooms A dazzling spring display of floral color. With over 450,000 bulbs and 3000 azaleas making this the Southwest’s largest outdoor floral festival. (From the Dallas Blooms web site.) Really is a wonderful display of azaleas and bulbs, and they work hard for the results you see. The place is huge, 66 acres I believe. Be prepared to do some walking. Can be busy on weekends.

March 6 – April 11 – Dallas Blooms

Fort Worth Botanic Gardens Many gardens in a single setting near the Fort Worth Cultural District.  The Rose Garden, free admission, is quite nice in late March and most of April.  I almost always walk through the Perennial and the Four Seasons Gardens when I go there. The Japanese Garden is a very nice walk too. The Conservatory and the grounds around it are nice in Spring. Busy on weekends.

Late March and April – Fort Worth Botanic Gardens

Weatherford Texas Chandor Gardens Chandor Gardens began as the private gardens of well known 20th century portrait artist Douglas Chandor. He converted a rock and cactus covered hillside in Weatherford Texas into a truly outstanding one-man garden. Today Chandor Gardens is operated by the City of Weatherford.  The gardens, broken up into distinct garden rooms, combine elements of both Chinese and English gardens.

April – mid-November, Saturday 9am to 3pm, Sunday 1pm to 5pm or call 817-613-1700 to make special arrangements – Chandor Gardens

Mineral Wells Texas Clark Gardens Botanical Park began as a small private garden in 1972 but evolved into a 35 acre scenic and educational facility that opened to the public in 2000. Paths wind among 50 plus gardens embracing native and Texas adaptable plants displayed among lakes, ponds, and waterfalls.

Gardens designed for year-round displays. See the bloom dates page on Clark Gardens’ web site for details. Clark Gardens Botanical Park

Tyler Texas Azalea Trails Each Spring in Tyler Texas, beautiful landscaped yards and gardens abound with colorful blooming Azaleas. Azaleas were first introduced to Tyler in 1929, but it wasn’t until 1960 that the Tyler Chamber of Commerce organized this event and started marking trails. Today there are eight miles of marked Azalea Trails passing by beautiful residential gardens and historic home sites.

March 19 – April 4 – Tyler Azalea Trails

Palestine Texas Dogwood Trails Festival 71st Annual Texas Dogwood Trails Celebration. Parade, Arts and Crafts, Live Music, Festival Food, Car Show, Kidz Zone. Featured area during the Texas Dogwood Trails event, the 200 acre Davey Dogwood Park near Palestine Texas is another attraction.

Last 2 weekends in March, First weekend in April – information at Palestine Chamber of Commerce, 903-729-6066.

Nacogdoches Texas Azalea Trail and the Ruby M Mize Azalea Garden Nacogdoches Texas has an Azalea Trails event each year. Their claim is that they have Texas’ largest azalea garden. The garden is the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden at Stephen F. Austin State University.

March 13 – April 3 – Nacogdoches Texas

Austin Texas Zilker Botanic Gardens Located on 30 acres in Austin it has theme gardens, such as rose, herb and Japanese gardens interconnected with streams, walkways, waterfalls and Koi-filled ponds.

Zilker Garden Festival – March 27 & 28,  or call 512-477-8672.

City of San Angelo International Waterlily Collection The city of San Angelo lists 7 Public gardens on their web site. The San Angelo International Waterlily Collection is located at Civic League Park, which is described as the city’s unofficial botanic gardens.  I’ve heard good things about the waterlily collection and understand April is a good time to visit.  The International Waterlily Collection has been designated by the International Waterlily & Water Gardening Society as a premiere collection of lilies in existence. I have never visited here but it’s on my short list. Do your own research, don’t trust me. I suspect this is one fine garden.

San Angelo International Waterlily Collection – http://www.sanangelotexas.org/

San Antonio Botanic Gardens and  the McNay Art Museum San Antonio has plenty of attractions. The botanic gardens are first rate, as I recall.  The grounds at the McNay Museum are beautiful and an ideal place for a garden walk or picnic.

Got a better idea? Tell us about your favorite Spring garden spot. Leave a comment below, and I’ll share it!

[Note: this article was originally published in 2009, but dates and links have been updated for the 2010 season. ]

Gallery

They open in April, check their Web site for details. Chandor Gardens is the work of the well known twentieth century artist Douglas Chandor. He was an Englishman who came to America in 1926 and established himself as a portrait painter. Some of his better known subjects were Presidents Herbert Hoover and Franklin Roosevelt.

Chandor married Ina Kuetman and they settled in her hometown of Weatherford Texas. The couple began building their home and Gardens in 1936. Over a period of 16 years Douglas Chandor converted a cactus covered hillside into a truly outstanding one-man garden that remains today as a testament to his gardening and artistic skills.

Chandor himself died in 1953, but his wife kept the gardens open to the public until 1978. Over a period of time the estate fell into disrepair and then was restored and sold to the city of Weatherford in 2002. Today the gardens are open to the public for viewing during scheduled hours for a small fee. They also host parties, wedding, and special events. See the Web site for details.

The gardens are broken up into 18 distinct areas or “rooms” featuring English and Chinese motifs. Water and fountains are featured in many of the garden settings. The mansion and courtyard are also quite impressive.

As I walked through these historic gardens, it occurred to me that Chandor Gardens must reflect the art and tastes of Douglas Chandor. While enjoying the Dragon Fountain and Buddha Niche, two adjacent rooms in the garden, my thoughts drifted to folk art. Folk art typically features strong local influences and varied use of materials. The opulent green glass that fringes the base of the Dragon Fountain is, in fact, some sort of commodity green glass bottle. I’m guessing maybe a 1940′s beverage of some sort. This in no way detracts from the overall beauty of the fountain. In fact it occurred to me that this may be the greater art of the artist. Although Chandor was an accomplished portrait painter by training; his greatest and most expressive works may well be on display not at the Smithsonian but here in Chandor Gardens.

Updates

2010 update from Steve:

Opening weekend for 2010 will be April 3 and 4. The new bronze dragons are now in place on the Dragon Fountain. Last year, we removed the originals and had them restored. Then we cast them in bronze, installed the bronzes in the Dragon fountain, and placed the restored originals in the house (they are not weatherproof).

This update on the 2009 season came from Steve Chamblee, horticulturist at Chandor Gardens.

New and Important Changes

• Opening weekend, April 4&5 this year, is always fun and busy. Admission is just $1, just like Ina used to charge, and we’ll have music, some food, The Texas Bee Charmer, Ask a Master Gardener, and I’m doing a talk on Texas Tough Plants.
• The Labyrinth is located in the center of the garden, on top of an old parking lot. I like that people who are enlightened to labyrinths absolutely love it and get all excited and involved with it; and those who don’t know what it is just kind of go, “Hrmpt…whatever.”
• I am literally in the middle of installing the new bronze sculptures in the Dragon Fountain. (The old ones were very weather-worn, and we’ve had them restored, but they are not weather-proof.) They will have jets of water spraying out of the dragons’ mouths, just like Chandor had them operating back in the day.
• We have replanted lots of pocket areas around the garden, so there is always something new and fresh to see.
• We have lots more koi than last year.
• On sort of a historic note, we are starting new roses for the main pergola in the Silver Garden.
• And we’ve done lots of irrigation work, which no one cares about but us gardeny folks.

The Hours

Officially, we are open to the public from the first weekend of April through mid-November, Saturdays 9am to 3pm, and Sundays 1pm to 5pm. The “strangeness” of these hours allows us to have lots of wedding here, which pays the light bill. Other than that, we are officially open other times by appointment. Our nickels and dimes budget does not allow us to reliably keep staff here other than those hours.

So, all of that being said, I tell people if they want to visit other than the official hours, just call ahead. 99% of the time, we can easily accommodate people. The main number is 817-613-1700, and my number is 817-598-4029.

Peace & Love,

Steven Chamblee

Location

711 West Lee Ave. Weatherford Texas, 7606

The Official Chandor Gardens Web Site

http://www.chandorgardens.com/

County: Parker

Bibliographic note: Most of the information presented here was extracted from a fact sheet provided at Chandor Gardens during my visit.

Copyright © 2008 by Sam Fenstermacher
All rights reserved