Water features mixed with shade trees shape this Southlake garden that’ll be on display for Peek Behind the Garden Gate on May 17.
Anyone who loves to garden might find North Texas is a place with its, ahem, challenges.
“I’ve gardened everywhere, and Texas is the hardest place to garden,” said master gardener Sian Rees. A native of Toronto, Canada, she has also lived in other states and found gardening more than a little easier elsewhere. The situation, though, is far from hopeless.
“If you do your research here, you’ll just do fine,” she said.
Tour co-chairs Cathy Vollmer and Sian Rees
If you need some inspiration, gardeners who successfully navigated Texas’ tricky horticultural landscape will soon be on public display. Rees and another master gardener, Cathy Vollmer, are co-chairing the upcoming Peek Behind the Garden Gate garden tour in Southlake.
Five gardens where perennial plants are prominently on display will be open for public viewing from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 17. The popular biennial garden tour serves as a major fundraiser for the Southlake Perennial Garden Society, a non-profit organization founded in 2003.
Perennials bloom in a variety of shapes and colors.
The club’s focus is to promote the use of perennials and grasses that will thrive in North Texas’s sometimes problematic climate, and the tour is part of that mission. The five featured gardens serve as examples of native and adapted, drought-tolerant residential landscapes.
Rees is excited for the public to see these gardens and hopes visitors will learn more about gardening in Texas. Each garden on the tour will feature educational opportunities with master gardeners available to answer questions.
But event organizers say simply seeing the variety of gardens helps visitors understand the possibilities for successful gardening in North Texas.
“The five chosen are gardens of everyday people who have learned by trial and error,” she said. “They’re beautiful, beautiful landscapes.”
A committee selects the chosen gardens, and Rees is pleased with the selections for the 2026 tour.
“There’s quite a variety, some are much more formal and structured, and some are more freeform and wild,” Rees said.
Distinct Looks
Each has a distinct look, reflected in the names the committee has given them. Serenity Spaces, the garden of Jane and Don Langlais, was inspired by romantic English gardens, and Birder’s Paradise, landscaped by nature lovers Ann and Scott Hollinger over 30 years, favors biodiversity to attract birds and butterflies.
Botanical Bento, the intentional garden of Dori and Stanley Kawai, was guided by global garden designs, carefully curated with the precision of an artfully arranged bento box. The Art of the Shade Garden, owned by Susanne and Steve Miller, uses deep shade to form a lush perennial retreat, while Perennial Pathways, landscaped by Becky and Chris Miltenberger, features flowers that thrive even in Texas summers and was inspired by the couple’s world travels.
If You Go
Tour tickets, purchased in advance, cost $20 per person, with children under 12 admitted free. Beginning Wednesday, tickets may be purchased online at SouthlakePerennialGardenSociety.com. After April 10, tickets will also be available at Marshall Grain in Colleyville, Landscape Systems in Keller, Calloway’s Nurseries in Southlake and Hurst, as well as The Flower Ranch in Keller. Day-of tickets are $25 and may be purchased at the tour garden located at 811 Shorecrest Drive in Southlake.
Proceeds support the perennial society’s educational projects, including community programming, school grants for garden education, and sponsorship of the Southlake Monarch Butterfly Festival.
Looking for more garden tours around North Texas?
Dallas County Master Gardener Spring Garden Tour
Date: Saturday, May 9
Time: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Location: North Oak Cliff
Highlights: For the first time, this tour is centered in the historic Oak Cliff neighborhood. It features five private home gardens and two neighborhood parks. Master Gardeners will be on-site at each stop to answer questions about native and adaptive plants.
Tickets: May be purchased for $18 in advance or $20 the day of.
Denton County Master Gardener Garden Tour
Date: Saturday, May 9
Time: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Location: Carrollton
Highlights: The tour and education fair features three private home gardens and two public gardens on display. Master Gardeners will be on-site with educational activities for all ages.
Tickets: May be purchased for $20 in advance or $25 the day of.
Do you know of a garden or home tour coming up? Please tell us about it! Email [email protected] to have your community’s tour featured.
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