Richardson, Texas Designs Parks and Parkways With Wildflowers! by Kay Tiller, Executive Regional Editor Richardson, Texas -- a suburb of Dallas -- is ablaze with color in the Springtime with wildflowers everywhere! -- thanks to the City of Richardson Parks and Recreation Department. With the help of the city's botanist, the city's group of Landscape Architects -- including the Park Director -- decided to make all the parks, major street medians, and the large area around the City Hall a "blaze of color" with masses of wildflowers. The City of Richardson Parks and Recreation Department has four Landscape Architects, including Dallas/Fort Worth ASLA Section stalwart Michael Massey, who as Park Planning Superintendent is responsible for continuing the legacy of wonderfully "rampant color" throughout the city (which, as many of you know, is my home town)! Massey describes the history of Richardson's wildflower parks as a concerted effort: "It all started with Dave Lockridge, a Landscape Architect, who was Park Director for 27 years, and continued by Al Johnson, another Landscape Architect who is now Park Director. They enlisted the aid of John Guthrie, the city horticulturist, and worked out the original plans, which John made sure were a success." He noted, "We try to stagger the blooming periods so that we have wildflowers from March through the end of May." That has been done with everything from Coreopsis to Rocket Larkspur and from California Poppies to our own native Texas Bluebonnets. And they are planting more species every year! Besides travelers on U.S. Highway 75, the people who get to enjoy that beauty are residents and those who commute to major high-tech companies like Ericsson, Nortel, MCI, and others in our "Telecom Corridor." The population of Richardson actually doubles by day; however, as Richardson is a city with lots of creeks running through residential areas, nature areas have been established for the citizens along many of these creeks. Among the more than 75 acres of wildflowers that have been planted in Richardson are some real treasures. For instance, Park Director Al Johnson specifically mentioned the 51-acre Spring Creek Nature Area with native pecans, chinquapin oaks, and red oaks in its hardwood forest and a spring that (history says) was a watering hole for many a wagon train that headed south from the Red River 100 or more years ago. Also particularly noteworthy is 357-acre Breckenridge Park in the easternmost part of the city, which was the first site of what has become a legend in just a few years -- Richardson's Spring "Wildflower and Music Festival." Though this festival was moved to the courtyard of the Nortel complex last year where it will again be held this Spring for easier visitor access, the wildflowers will still bloom and be enjoyed in Breckenridge Park. According to Massey, whose job entails preparing the presentation materials for bond elections, citizens resoundingly approve of the work of the City's park department. (Frankly, you never pass any of the parks on a pretty day without seeing people using them!) In the 1992 $36 million-bond program, $8.5 million was specifically earmarked for "renovating all the parks within the city and acquiring new parks." "Many of the parks have been renovated since that time, but we have a few more to go," Massey said. "One of them is one of Richardson's oldest parks, Cottonwood Park." In fact, the $1.2 million program known as "Cottonwood Lakes and Park Renovation" is about to get underway, he as the architecture and urban design firm of Newman-Jackson-Bieberstein, Inc. of Dallas has just completed the Master Plan for the 25-acre park with lakes and trails. Numerous awards have been presented to Michael Massey, ASLA. "He is one of those individuals that has a 'can do' positive attitude which sets him apart," according to Park Director Al Johnson. "His enthusiasm is such that everyone wants him on the team." Indeed, the team concept among the design professionals in Richardson is an integral part of their operations and one that should be practiced throughout the country! City Engineer, Carl McChesney and the Park Department work together closely, according to Massey: "We work so well together we get things done, but none of us could do these things without the support of the City Manager and the City Council." In my opinion, as a citizen of Richardson -- I came out here to work on a newspaper in 1949 -- the City Council is just reflecting the "will of the citizens of the city," as they should do . . . we are all proud of our landscape architecture-filled City of Richardson Park and Recreation Department what they have done for all of us . . . including the fabulous show of spring color in our magnificent wildflower display! My personal thanks to you all!!! Michael Massey, ASLA, has a lot to do in his position in Richardson, but he still has time to serve the Texas Chapter/ASLA and a number of other professional organizations. Currently, he is the Director of Region 5 of the Texas Recreation and Parks Society, serves on the Board of the Southwest Parks and Recreation Training Institute, and is also an active member of the Nation Recreation and Parks Association.