By Hannah Phillips
Culture Map San Antonio
October 20, 2017
The San Antonio Botanical Garden is in full bloom. On October 21-22, the garden will unveil the first phase of an anticipated 8-acre expansion, complete with new gardens, education centers, and a garden-to-table experience. Before the grand opening celebration, let’s take a look at what’s new for the growing garden.
By Paul Stephen
San Antonio Express-News
October 16, 2017
Dave Terrazas is living a chef’s farm-to-table dream. His domain includes a 34-bed culinary garden, state-of-the-art outdoor kitchen and technology-rich classroom space, all part of the expansion at San Antonio Botanical Garden. Swiss chard, lettuce, a handful of edible flowers and other autumnal staples are at his fingertips right now. And then there’s the quinoa. “You don’t normally see quinoa in gardens like this,” Terrazas said. “Across the entire garden, we have over 192 edible specimens (of fruits and vegetables).”
Quinoa is native to the Andes Mountains, long a staple crop for Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and other South American countries. It’s enjoyed a tremendous rise in popularity thanks in large part to its wholesome nutritional profile. And — who knew? — it grows in San Antonio, as well. Terrazas already has plans for threshing the harvest and incorporating it into a class.
And he’ll have plenty of opportunity.The facilities will host a wide range of food-and nutrition-centric classes via a partnership with the Culinary Health Education for Families (CHEF) program funded by the Goldsbury Foundation.
By Steve Bennett
San Antonio Express-News
October 16, 2017
If color brands like “bandana cherry,” “solar flare” and “brake lights” make you think of car finishes or fingernail polish, think again. These are the warm tints of perennials — a variety of lantana, tecoma and red yucca, respectively — that are the flowering foundation of the San Antonio Botanical Garden’s 8-acre, $22 million expansion, opening next Saturday. The expansion, which was some 30 years in the making, reflects a new emphasis on interactivity at the garden, and new features include a grand entryway off of North New Braunfels Avenue, upgraded ticketing and educational facilities, an expanded gift shop and, perhaps most exciting, a culinary garden with an outdoor kitchen — all designed and constructed with the landscape, rather than buildings, as “the star of the show.”
