After more than thirty years living in the metroplex, you would think that I had scoped out everything there was to see. Not so. Searching for places to hike, I came across the Cedar Ridge Preserve on Mountain Creek Parkway in Dallas. I do remember hearing about it when it was called the Dallas Nature center; alas, I never found the time to visit. Now Audubon Dallas maintains it, and is certainly work checking out.  

It encompasses 600 acres, with most left in its natural habitat. There are 9 miles of hiking trails, with lots of hills, something not so common in this area. At an elevation of 755 feet, one feels “on top of the world” overlooking the surrounding area. Native grasses and wildflowers, butterflies and birds made the hike so pleasant. The highlight was a painted bunting perched on a dead branch right out in the open. What a treat!

There is an old adage in the gardening world. When you plant a perennial, the first year it will sleep, the second year it will creep and the third year it will leap. How true that is of some of the plants in my garden. Purple coneflower from 4″ plants three years ago, have completely taken over the spot I planted them in, far exceeding my expectations. What was going to be a two to three foot plant is approaching four feet and still growing. It goes without saying that next year I will be thinning out this bed.

Taller and much more striking is the ‘Peter’s Purple’ monarda. I have fallen in love with this plant. The lavender-purple flowers atop erect 4 ½ feet stems are beautiful. There has not been any hint of powdery mildew, a common complaint with bee balm. True to its name, bees love it; so do the butterflies.

There are other stories – Rudbeckia goldsturm knows no bounds, one hardy hibiscus is at least four feet wide, Turk’s cap keeps on growing and growing…