arry and Daniel's back yard in the Lake Highlands area of Dallas opens out into the White Rock Creek greenbelt and the North Dallas Bike Trail, so attracting wildlife to the garden is really easy. “We get the usual raccoons and possums, as well as all kinds of birds, squirrels, rabbits, lizards and an occasional snake,” explains Daniel, “but it's the birds, butterflies and hummingbirds we are really after, so we have planted large butterfly gardens in both the front and back yards.”

“It has really worked,” Daniel continues, “and we have had butterflies and hummingbirds galore. As an unexpected benefit, the butterfly gardens also attracted several local high school boys one year who stopped by and asked if they could catch a few of the butterflies for a science project. Naturally we were more than happy to help them out,” he laughed. Both Barry and Daniel are teachers — Barry is a kindergarten teacher and Daniel taught high school journalism and psychology before going into school administration. They also publish two major Bed and Breakfast directories on the Internet — Rainbow Destinations and Bed and Breakfast Inns of North America.

Barry, who grew up in Alabama, experienced gardens every year during his youth as his father is an avid gardener. Daniel is a Dallas native, and was influenced in his gardening interest by his grandparents who loved to garden. He is a certified Texas Master Gardener, having completed certification requirements in 1999. “We were so excited when we moved to this home in 1996,” Barry said, “because we finally had enough room to really expand our gardening interests.” It has taken a while to get things going, though, and like most gardens, theirs is always a work in progress.

When they moved to the home, the back yard had a large fenced dog run on one side, an even larger sand box (about 20 x 40 feet) for the previous owner's kids on the other side, and grass in the middle of the yard. “Both the sand box and dog run had to go,” said Daniel, “so over a period of about two years we added tons of soil amendments to the sand box and converted it into a perennial border with a fountain and a vegetable garden (above left).”

Next, they took down the dog run fence and began working on changing the gravel-covered hard-packed soil into a perennial bed. In the front yard they removed a row of shrubs and converted part of the lawn into a mixed border with another fountain (above right).

“A couple of years ago on a weekend trip to the Dallas Farmer's Market, we spotted David and brought him home to keep a watchful eye on the back yard garden. He hangs out there all the time,” Daniel laughed. “The newest addition to our family, Katie Belle the Boston Terrier, keeps him company.”

Barry and Daniel have become really interested in the Plant a Row for the Hungry program and grow lots of extra vegetables each year. "We've been taking fresh produce to the AIDS food pantry whenever we can," Daniel says. "It's nice to be able to grow it and share it with someone who really needs the food," he explains. They also enjoy roses and just about all kinds of annuals and perennials. "One of our goals," said Barry, "is to add a water garden in the next couple of years."

Daniel is really the gardener in the family, but Barry helps him out by making lemonade and bringing it out while he is working! “That works for me,” Daniel said!

NOTE: Barry and Daniel have now moved to the 22nd floor of a high rise
on McKinney Avenue in downtown Dallas and miss their yard and gardens very much.