Palms, agaves, and edibles in Peter Schaar Garden

October 27, 2020

I was happy to have the opportunity to see the garden of Peter Schaar in Dallas in early October. I know Peter as a palm and agave lover, a rose enthusiast (note the Texas Rose Rustler t-shirt), and an avid cook with a taste for growing herbs and other edibles. He’s also a longtime commenter at Digging (since 2011) who often shares interesting snippets about his travels with his late wife, Julie, and personal anecdotes about Texas’s gardening trailblazers like John Fairey and Pam Puryear.

Peter is reticent about his own work as a garden designer (a second career after 30 years as an applied mathematician) and educational speaker, as I learned when I read a 2006 D Magazine article about him called “The Mathematician’s Garden.” In short, Peter has gardening chops and a wealth of knowledge about gardening in North Texas, which he generously shares with others.

Peter’s garden, located in Dallas’s Lakewood neighborhood, is packed with fringe-fingered palms, strappy crinums, arrowhead-leaf alocasia, and spiky agaves and sotols. Edible herbs, chiles, and even leafy vegetables are stuffed in as well.

Cobalt pots elevating succulents and agaves run a blue color scheme through the garden.

Tropical-looking (but hardy) alocasia and native chile pequin make a pretty combo.

A starburst of pencil-thin leaves on Agave striata.

Bushy palms or palmettos look wonderful silhouetted against the bright sky. They also help hide power lines and neighboring houses.

Lantana blazing in the sunny space along the back fence

Colorful chard is pretty to grow even if you don’t eat it.

Hibiscus

The powder-blue leaves of Wheeler’s sotol stand out in front of monarch-attracting frostweed.

Bees enjoy the frostweed too.

Working it

A whale’s tongue agave in a blue pot draws the eye across the garden.

Peter has turned his suburban backyard into a botanical joyride!

My thanks, Peter, for a delightful garden visit and for the yummy birthday pastries as well!

For a look back at other gardens I visited during my trip to Dallas-Fort Worth, click back to my tour of Native Texas Park at the Bush Center. More links are found at the end of each post.

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Digging Deeper

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All material © 2024 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

Agaves, Bees, Bulbs/Rhizomes, Containers, Edibles, Garden tours 2020, Lawn Gone, Palms/Cycads, Shade garden, Southwest, Succulents, Texas

14 responses to “Palms, agaves, and edibles in Peter Schaar Garden”

  1. hb says:
    October 27, 2020 at 6:58 PM

    Gorgeous garden! Garden and design talent as well as mathematical.

    Thanks for the tour.

  2. Karin Adair Crichton says:
    October 28, 2020 at 10:12 AM

    Good Morning from Houston!! I saw your photos and comments on Houston Botanic Garden’s FB page a few weeks ago – LOVED your photos and commentary, so NOW I am following YOU!! Having GREAT fun admiring the gardens you highlight!!

    Enjoy your Fall season!

  3. Ragna says:
    October 28, 2020 at 10:41 AM

    I always enjoyed chatting with Peter at various events back in my rose growing days. It is wonderful to see him pictured above and enjoy a virtual visit to his abundantly growing garden! I especially love all the palm trees and the way he uses pots to highlight various plants. Thank you!

    • Pam/Digging says:
      October 28, 2020 at 10:56 AM

      I think Peter must know everyone in the gardening world in Texas! I’m glad you enjoyed the virtual tour of his garden, Ragna. By the way, my little cactus pieces are growing well, so thanks again for those!

  4. ginny says:
    October 28, 2020 at 1:24 PM

    What a lovely and green oasis Peter has created! It must be so calming to sit in this beautiful garden (not that gardeners ever sit for long, haha). Thanks for sharing, Pam.

  5. peter schaar says:
    October 28, 2020 at 5:08 PM

    Thanks for the beautiful coverage of my garden, Pam. The narrow leaf Agave is A. striata.

    • Pam/Digging says:
      October 28, 2020 at 8:43 PM

      Thank YOU for sharing your lovely garden with us, Peter! I’ve added the plant ID — thanks.

  6. Greg Grant says:
    October 31, 2020 at 7:01 AM

    Thanks for sharing. Peter’s garden is beautiful. He’s amazing.

  7. Robin Ruff Leja says:
    November 1, 2020 at 8:58 PM

    It seems that you have an open invitation to tour all private gardens in your area, what fun!

    • Pam/Digging says:
      November 1, 2020 at 11:06 PM

      Not quite all. 😉 But gardeners tend to be generous about sharing their creations, for which I am most grateful.