Every year, the antique rose gardens get a little larger, the 19th and early 20th century homes grow more colorful and yet, somehow, it is the gardeners themselves that make this annual spring highlight in Whitewright so memorable.

Once a year, a group of antique rose gardeners turn into ambassadors for this charming town of approximately 1,800 residents that straddles the boundary between Grayson County and Fannin County.  This quaint festival to celebrate "old roses and new friends" is far from the rush of city traffic.  The pace is peaceful and quiet.  If you enjoy a place where folks greet you with a smile and welcome visitors to a leisurely tour of impressive rose gardens, this event deserves to get circled on your calendar. 

And the word seems to be getting out about the Whitewright Antique Rose and Garden Tour.  In addition to people from the immediate area, families from Gainesville, Farmersville and several other North Texas cities took advantage of this opportunity to tour beautiful gardens and "talk roses" with gardeners who know this subject very well.

The tour will conclude Sunday with a tour from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.  Participating gardeners will have a colorful sign in their yard.  So bring a friend and bring the camera, because this event is a photographer's dream.

Directions:  From Dallas, take US 75 N to McKinney, exit US 75 N at Exit 45 for Hwy. 121 toward Bonham and drive 13.9 miles.  Turn left on TX 160 and drive 8.4 miles.  Whitewright, Texas is also at the intersections of Hwys. 69/160/11.

Additional photos to run later this week...