North Haven Gardens has been a part of the North Texas community since 1951, when it was a just a small family nursery down a gravel road. It has developed over time, but still maintains its deep commitment to finding plants that succeed in the local climate and providing gardeners with the support they need to grow their dream landscape. “We have especially evolved over the last two years,” says General Manager Cody Hoya, “We have added an art gallery, cafe and will be soon offering yoga classes, as well.”

North Haven is home to a wide variety of beautiful, interesting and hard-to-find plants that are native to Texas, such as American beautyberry, desert willow, Mexican feather grass and coral honeysuckle. They also provide an array of succulents, seasonal edibles, perennials, pottery and gifts.

The new café has been a long-time vision. “Many garden centers throughout Europe have a cafe or tea room, so we wanted to provide additional ways for our visitors to enjoy the beauty in the heart of the garden center,” says Hoya. The menu has been in development for more than a year by a chef consultant that crafts vibrant dishes made from local and sustainable produce, breads and meat. There are garden snacks such as avocado toast, a cheese board and a super greens salad that can be topped with chicken or salmon, as well as classic soups like tomato basil with parmesan croutons.

In 2015, an art gallery was opened on the property. “We see it as a way to further connect the dots between nature, gardening and creativity.” states Hoya. North Haven also invites beginner and master gardeners alike to participate in their rich calendar of events and workshops throughout the year, from organic gardening to specialty plants. Yoga sessions will begin soon out in the garden amongst the flowers, or in case of inclement weather, in a large indoor classroom space. North Haven Gardens believes in giving back to the community by making donations of money, seeds and centerpieces to nonprofits such as Promise of Peace Community Gardens.

“We always encourage people who are new to gardening to realize that gardening is a long-time process based on trial and error, and that even the most experienced gardeners kill plants along the way.” advises Cody. “One thing I like to remind people personally is that plants are living things, and they have infinite personalities and responses to their environment.” He notices that plants are often seen as merely decorative materials, but, “As an experienced horticulturalist, I find that caring for and observing my flowers and plants throughout the year through different seasons is much like making new friends.”

Location: 7700 Northaven Rd., Dallas. For more information, call 214-363-5316 or visit nhg.com.