1929

Leon and wife, Peggy Bandy buy land and build their dream home. Leon earned most of his income by doing the blueprints for whats now Lockheed. The couple coined their estate “Dripping Springs”. Built before air conditioning, the entire site was constructed for outdoor entertaining. The Bandy’s were Shriner’s and loved to host parties on the ship and have friends over to swim in the creek. It is said that “anyone who was anyone in Fort Worth” danced on the bow of the ship or sun bathed by the creek.

During the holidays, people would come from all over DFW to view the Bandy’s Christmas lights. Leon would play Christmas music while cars lined all the way down a dirt road, now named Anglin Drive.

Most of the original stone work was accomplished in the post-war depression days. Native sandstone was hauled in from the nearby fields and quarries. It has been reported that Leon Bandy advertised at the local mason hall, “work for 50 cents a day”. From the grottos, walls, wishing well, walks and stone ship- we see outstanding craftsmanship.

1933

Leon Bandy personally builds the Wisteria arbor. As a result of his not being a skilled mason, this arbor is starting to show wear and tear. The Weston’s are responsible for rebuilding this arbor.

The first woman architect, C.D. Nell Whitehead, drew up the landscape design for the middle part of the gardens. Her signature is found on the back of the Wisteria arbor. Being before women were respected in the industry, she had to only put her initials opposed to signing her entire name.

1942

The stone ship is completed. The Bandy’s would throw parties on the ship where guests would dance on the bottom level. The bar was located on the second level.

1962

Leon Bandy sells the property and moves down the street. The picture shown to the left is the advertisement Mr. Bandy put in the newspaper.

1969

The Vitek’s buy the estate from the Hadley’s and start renovating the house to accommodate their 6 children.

1972

The Vitek’s teenage kids throw a party which has an abrupt ending. The kids said the cabin of the ship got “struck by lightning” and burned. Years later, the Startelegram wrote an article and the Vitek’s daughter finally confessed that wasn’t exactly the case. Being the 70’s, the kids were drinking and smoking when one thing led to another and the ship caught on fire. The Weston’s rebuilt the cabin of the ship later down the road.

1984

Randy and Sue Weston, a CPA, trade in their breif cases for wheel barrels by quitting their corporate jobs and opening a garden center. Weston Gardens opened its doors in 1984 with a niche in selling Texas Natives. The couple had no idea when they bought the land off Anglin Drive that the Bandy’s beloved estate was just across the street. Until, a customer came into the garden center and told Sue and Randy about what use to be “Dripping Springs”. Being just steps away from their new garden center, Randy and Sue knew it was meant to be.

The Weston’s plan was to clean up what use to be the talk of the town and restore the estate back into it’s beautiful state. Sue and Randy knew the site would be the perfect addition to their garden center. They dreamed of reconstructing them into demonstration gardens for their customers. Guests would be able to relax and roam the gardens to come see plants they sold in their grown state. and have them as demonstration gardens for their garden center customers. The entire site had been unkept and took years to clear and restore. the estate would be perfect to have as demonstration gardens where their customers could see the plants they sold in the ground. They eventually bought the property in 1988 and began restoring.

1990

The Star-telegram does an article on the Weston’s and their crazy plans called “A Fallen Eden”. The demonstration gardens open later that year.