Tricked-out outdoors

Virtual reality takes backyards to the future at new Fort Worth design store

If you can envision a cozy little nook like this on your patio, you can design it and buy it.

Photo courtesy of The Collective Outdoors

A future-y new Fort Worth store is putting backyard design in the mind's eye of the beholder. The Collective Outdoors, opening August 11 at 621 South Frwy., is a hybrid furniture store-home design studio where clients can use virtual reality to trick out their outdoor spaces.

The highlight of the high-tech store is a virtual reality machine that lets clients "walk through" proposed designs of their spaces. Rose bushes here, fire pit there — it's all on the screen before it's in your yard.

“We’re the most high-tech guys who play in dirt all day that you’ll ever meet," says co-founder Dale Jackson in a release.

Jackson, of Blooms Landcare, co-founded The Collective Outdoors with Dustin Hillman, of Panther City Arbor. Together, the outdoor pros aimed to establish a place that saved people time and money — and to do so in innovative ways.

The 8,100-square-foot store brings Fort Worth artisans under one roof and helps clients focus on both big picture and fun details of outdoor patio and backyard design. What's not fun about a backyard, after all?

The idea is a one-stop shop where customers can design, construct, and purchase everything needed to create the backyard of their dreams — even if they don't know an arbor from a pergola.

“You can come in with a completely blank canvas and we can handle everything for your yard," Hillman says. "Nothing else like this place exists.”

Besides the virtual reality machine, other high-tech offerings at the store include wifi grills that alert you when your food is ready, bluetooth fire pits that dance to music via soundwaves, and irrigation systems designed to reduce your water bill, they say.

The owners also have plans to connect with the Fort Worth community by offering events like Saturday cook-offs, food trucks, a putting green, and even a bar. “People can enjoy The Collective Outdoors the same way they enjoy their backyards,” Hillman says. “This is the place to be on Saturday.”

The store will host a free grand opening event from 11 am-4 pm August 11. There'll be food, drinks, a bounce house, putting green, and a chance to see all of the grills, fire pits and outdoor furniture they sell. Plus, a chance to try out out that all-important virtual reality machine.

Regular hours are 11 am-6 pm Wednesday-Saturday and 12 pm-5 pm Sunday.

openings shopping

greener grass in tx

Texas leads the nation as the No. 1 best state for homesteading

Photo by Zoe Richardson on Unsplash

Homesteading isn't a pipe dream for those who want to begin that journey in Texas.

If social media is any indicator, homesteading has been one of the hottest trends of 2024. And Texas is leading the charge as the No. 1 best state for homesteading and gardening, according to a new report by First Saturday Lime.

Analysts at First Saturday Lime, an insect repellant company featured on Shark Tank, evaluated the "suitability for sustainable living" across all 50 states based on six factors: Climate, community interest (a.k.a online search trends), gardening resources, farmland costs, and others.

The Lone Star State led the nation with the most farms and ranches on the market and the highest total acreage for sale. As of the study's publication, there were 7,520 total properties for sale, spanning more than 2.19 million acres of land.

Texas also ranked favorably for its farmland affordability. The state came in at No. 9 nationally with its average farmland price coming out to $2,800 per acre, the report said.

For comparison, New Mexico (which ranked No. 11 overall) had the most affordable average price per acre of farmland at just $700 per acre. Massachusetts (No. 48) and Connecticut (No. 42), however, tied for the most expensive price per acre, at $14,300.

Among the three remaining categories in the study, Texas performed the worst for its "gardens on Yelp per capita" rank. The study calculated Texas has 0.30 gardening and community garden establishments on Yelp per capita, placing Texas at No. 49.

Meanwhile, Texas' historically hot weather meant it ranked No. 43 out of all 50 states in the "favorable climate" rank, and the state earned a middle-of-the-road No. 35 rank in the "search interest per capita" category.

"Homesteading and gardening are growing in popularity, but some states provide better opportunities than others," the report's author wrote. "Whether you're after fresh produce or the freedom of self-sufficiency, choosing the right state can make all the difference."

Following behind Texas to complete the top three best states for homesteading and gardening are Oregon (No. 2) and Washington (No. 3), two notoriously rainy West Coast states.

Meanwhile, three East Coast states ranked at the bottom of the list as the worst states for homesteading and gardening: Rhode Island (No. 50), New Jersey (No. 49), and Massachusetts (No. 48).

The top 10 best states for homesteading and gardening are:

No. 1 – Texas
No. 2 – Oregon
No. 3 – Washington
No. 4 – Vermont
No. 5 – Delaware
No. 6 – Arizona
No. 7 – Wyoming
No. 8 – Montana
No. 9 – Hawaii
No. 10 – Colorado

The study sourced its data from Yelp, Google Trends, and the UDSA to determine each state's ranking.

gardening sustainability nature farmers