The Houston Botanic Garden in Texas, USA opened its doors in September 2020, providing a green escape for locals with 132 acres of bayou landscape and outdoor gallery spaces featuring tropical, sub-tropical and arid plants from around the world.
The garden has become a go-to spot to get some fresh air during the pandemic – the timely opening offering a safe place that is outdoors, healing and inspiring.
Through its design and programming the Garden, a collaboration with landscape architects West 8, seeks to enrich lives through discovery, education and the conservation of plants and the natural environment.
“Adding a world-class botanic garden to enhance the breadth and depth of Houston’s cultural offerings has been a long time in the making,” said Claudia Gee Vassar, President and General Counsel of the Houston Botanic Garden.
“We believe the benefits of an extensive outdoor museum like the Houston Botanic Garden will be especially desirable at a time when so many are looking to engage with and be inspired by nature.”
Also see our In Profile interview with Claudia Gee Vassar.
A healing space: lagoon with Cypress-lined Boardwalk Maze, Susan Garver Family Discovery Garden. Photo: Michael Tims.
“The intent of the site design is to seek balance in all aspects, from planting and soils, through topography and materials – the careful juxtaposition of order and chaos that is at the heart of enduring gardens,” said Donna Bridgeman-Rossi, PLA, Director of Implementation, West 8 New York.
“With this being Houston’s first garden of this kind, it was exciting to be working with a client group that not only expects best practice but is open to the complexities required to push status quo into new territory or specification.”
The 2020 opening is the first of several planned phases for the garden’s development over 30 years.
The indoor and outdoor cafe area of the garden’s Welcome Pavilion is populated with Cafe Tables by Street Furniture Australia, specified by West 8.
The highly durable tables feature a tailored smooth tabletop for dining, and are powder coated in a contemporary Woodland Grey Matt to perfectly match the chairs by Fermob. Some of the tables were also used as part of the retail display indoors.
