While Texas isn’t known for it’s Dutch culture, we have had our share of stories that originated in Holland, perhaps one of the best is the story of the el Baron de Bastrop, for which the town East of Austin is named. A fake nobility with a made up name, he had charm and charisma and aided Moses Austin, father of Stephen F. Austin in acquiring a contract from the Spanish government to bring Europeans to Texas! While the Dutch colony of Nederland, settled in Jefferson County in 1897 still pays tribute to their Dutch heritage with a Windmill Museum, it is now better known as the proposed end of the line in much debated Keystone Pipeline. However, during Spring in Texas we are seeing more and more of Dutchland with the emergence of Tulip Farms and Gardens! We visited Poston Gardens in Waxahachie for their inaugral year, as they planted over one million tulips on 60 acres in the picturesque town south of Dallas, and opened for business with some of the profits benefiting the intellectually disabled at Daymark Living, many of which also work on at the gardens!
Know Before You Go:
Parking is FREE.
Admission is charged at the gate. See their website for admission prices.
Cut flowers are $3 each, with $1 of every flower going to Daymark Living.
Outside food and drinks are not allowed.
Wear comfortable shoes, there is quite a bit of walking on dirt and grass.
Port-a-pottys are located at the entrance.
Bring some scissors for cutting the tulips and leave the bulbs for next year!
We absolutely loved all the flowers! There was every possible color, it seemed! With over one million bulbs planted, it really is beautiful!
Even in March, it was warm so dress appropriately. We visited in the evening, as it had been cloudy in the morning, but the gardens open at 10 a.m., and I would suggest arriving early if possible.
There are 3 big gardens to visit, with each seeming to have a color theme. This one was more pastels, while the other two seemed to have deeper colors!
For their first year open, the gardens are really just amazing! I can’t wait to see what the future holds!
My kids tried to behave while I took pictures but of course it only lasted a few minutes!
After just a couple of shots, they were goofing around!
And for once my son got the better of his sister!
Thankfully, he knows when to retreat.
Once out in all the colors, I didn’t like the pale blue on my daughter as much as I liked the bolder colors I saw on many others.
If there has recently been rain, I would bring a small sheet or something to sit on that you can easily hide behind the flowers to stay clean. The gardens are closed if it’s too muddy. Nice, wide rows gave us plenty of space to sit down and not hurt the flowers.
Take advantage of the free hay ride to come back from the furthest field! A snow cone shop was set up by the entrance, too!
They also had some cute little cows to say hello. It wasn’t a petting area, but we were able to stick our hands through and offer a greetings!
The old cow barn made a nice background, so we grabbed a few pictures here, too.
While I wished at the time that I had taken these pictures when we first arrived, before playing in the grass and spilling a snow cone on his shirt, on hindsight this is how I want to remember the day. We had so much fun exploring the gardens, the hay ride, calves and all! I’m happy to know that we are perfectly imperfect!
Visit the gardens before they close, which is dependent on the weather but they should be open through early to mid-April!
Here are some fun Dutch traditions to incorporate to your visit to Poston Gardens!
- The Dutch kiss 3 times, regardless of gender, so give your kids some extra love while you’re there!
- The Dutch are known for their love of biking, and since it’s only a 1.5 mile bike ride to Downtown Waxahachie, bring your bikes and grab a fun lunch downtown! Waxahachie also has some great bike trails, including the 6 mile Rails to Trail Waxahachie Creek Hike and Bike Trail.
- The Dutch are known for their love of pancakes, and eating them even at dinner! After a day at the garden, go home and serve up pancakes for dinner with a centerpiece of fresh cut tulips on your table.
Things To Do in Waxahachie
Play
Scarborough Renaissance Festival runs each year in April and May! Step back in time with great activities for the entire family! Click HERE for more information.
Take a ghost tour of Downtown Waxahachie! Tours are offered every Saturday Night! Click HERE to visit their website.
Eat
Farm Luck Soda Fountain and Dry Goods is a cute sandwich and ice cream shop in Downtown Waxahachie on the square! Click HERE for more information.
Poston Gardens
900 Cantrell St., Waxahachie
Click HERE to visit their website.
Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!
Michelle
Having Fun in the TEXAS Sun is on PINTEREST! Use it as a quick resource to find activities in different Texas towns! Click HERE!
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