August 2, 2023
What Have You Discovered This Summer?
What Have You Discovered This Summer?
As summer comes to a close, we are thrilled to share with you some exciting developments at the Garden that aim to enhance your next visit. The most enriching experiences here come not only from the beauty of the surroundings, but also in understanding and appreciating the depth of what occurs in nature.
To that end, we have committed to enhancing signage throughout our grounds, with a particular focus on engaging our guests. We've recently installed the first of 10 new large-scale interpretive signs in the Garden – a project designed to offer you an immersive educational experience. These signs, complete with QR codes, will link you directly to additional information on our website, allowing you to delve further into the fascinating facts behind our unique plants and landscapes.
We are incredibly grateful to the Elkins Foundation for their generous support in bringing this initiative to life, and for supporting our efforts to showcase the science behind nature’s beauty.
Visit us soon to see how the Garden changes from one season to the next, and get an up-close look at why life grows here.
Bring a little bit of the Garden to your neighborhood group, garden club, or organization. Members of our team are available to share their expertise with the community. It's a great way to nurture a passion for nature and provide interesting and engaging programming for your group.
Open Dance Project will be at the Garden September 30 and October 1 to present Flutter, an immersive performance that integrates the new butterfly sculptures in the Susan Garver Family Discover Garden, which were generously supported by Ann Lents and David Heaney. Open Dance’s creative director, Annie Arnoult, recently took the time to share her passion for dance and how the dance company designs performances that connect so deeply with audiences.
On August 19, the experts who keep the Garden looking fabulous year-round will be sharing some tips and tricks that you can use to maintain a healthy home garden this fall. Be here at 11:30 a.m. for this great opportunity to elevate your gardening skills.
Make plans now to attend the Garden’s second Late Summer Night’s Dream, coming Friday, September 8! You won't want to miss this lovely stroll of the Garden -- with treats, sips, tastes, and enjoyable company at every turn -- during the gorgeous golden hour.
The foundation for the new greenhouse is complete, and the new structure is starting to pop up in the Garden now. We expect the construction will be complete before the end of summer. We can’t wait for the new opportunities it will provide for growing and protecting plants indoors!
Aug. 12: Build a terrarium with your family
Aug. 30: Experience the magic of a blue moon
*conclusion of Summer Webinar Series
Explore our Events Calendar for more opportunities to grow your gardening knowledge.
The final month of the Garden's educational BotaniCamp is here. There are a few spots left in the last two week-long sessions for students K-5 to explore nature, engage with experts, and have some fun getting their hands dirty. The topics change each week, and gardening mini-camps can be added to create a full day of discovery for your child.
Beat the heat during your next visit to the Garden with a stop into our Garden Shop, where you'll find delicious popsicle treats from KICPOPS; salads, bowls and sandwiches from Taste My Flavias; and refreshing iced coffee from the Constellation Coffee Company, all made locally.
We know the summer heat hasn’t yet faded, but now is the time to reserve your dates for winter events at the Garden. Peak party times fill fast, so contact our Venue Coordinator today to explore all of our venue options and learn more about the many amenities our facility can offer to make your holiday gathering the hit of the season.
And don't forget, if you need to host an event sooner than that, there is still one month left for summertime rental discounts. Enjoy 20-50% off the regular venue fee on select spaces.
Bookings subject to availability. Cannot be combined with any other discount(s). Security fee, insurance, extra hours, custom venue spaces, and full garden buy-outs are not included in the sale.
We love it when students help us with the hard work of keeping the Garden beautiful. Last month, we had dozens of young people from local organizations stop in to help us clear weeds from around our prized plants, and more. Learn about the young helpers we had visit us this summer, and discover future opportunities for you, and/or your youth group, to join the effort.
You helped us raise more than $40,000 this spring!
Thank you to all the members and donors who supported the Garden’s 2023 spring Annual Fund campaign -- particularly Joe and Cathy Cleary, for their generous $25,000 matching donation. The funds will help us grow and continue to enrich life through discovery, education, and the conservation of plants and the natural environment.
You can donate to the Houston Botanic Garden at any time by visiting our website or texting give2garden to 71777.
The Garden’s premier fundraising event is just two months away! Our co-chairs, Kit and Carl Detering and April and Wells McGee, are planning an unforgettable event that you don’t want to miss.
This year’s theme, “Like a Child, a Garden will Grow,” is inspired by the Susan Garver Family Discovery Garden. The upcoming Annual Luncheon will honor her husband and daughters, C. Michael Garver, Beth Garver Black, and Gretchen Garver Hilyard.
Join us early for a pre-event champagne reception hosted by Mary and John Eads, chairs of Glass in Flight, an exhibition of art and science opening in the Family Discovery Garden on October 21, 2023.
Reserve your table or ticket for the Houston Botanic Garden's 2023 Annual Luncheon while you still can. The event will be held Wednesday, Oct. 4 from 12-1 p.m. at River Oaks Country Club.
Start Enjoying Perks of Membership
Starting at just $50 for an individual membership, patrons of the Garden enjoy unlimited admission to 132 acres of amazing natural wonders and incredible exhibitions, as well as discounts on classes, events, and purchases in the Garden Shop. Join today, and don’t forget to pick up your complimentary membership pin at the Ticket Window -- if you haven't already -- the next time you visit.
The Garden is now participating in the American Horticultural Society's Reciprocal Admissions Program, which means your Houston Botanic Garden membership card entitles you to special admission privileges at more than 340 gardens throughout North America (including 15 in Texas).
