CLOSE AD ×

West 8 reveals plans for Houston’s first botanic garden

Flower Power

West 8 reveals plans for Houston’s first botanic garden

West 8 reveals plans for Houston’s first botanic garden. Houston's new Botanic Garden by West 8 (Courtesy West 8)

West 8 is designing Houston’s first botanic garden, which is set to break ground later this year. Renderings were recently released of the 120-acre park, featuring four discrete areas that incorporate bayous and wetlands, as well as a children’s garden and play area, picnic grove, tree farm, lawn, and walking trails. Called “Botanic Beginnings,” this is the first of several phases that are planned over the next 30 years.

(Courtesy West 8)
(Courtesy West 8)

“The astonishing array of plant life that can be grown in Houston, combined with this city’s love of gardens will make this one of the most beloved collections in the world. To be involved in the design of a cultural and scientific institution of such great relevance in our nation’s most diverse city is truly a once-in-a-career commission,” Claire Agre, principal of West 8’s New York and Rotterdam–based design team said in a statement.

The garden will help educate visitors on local cuisine with the Edible Garden, featuring fruit and vegetable plants as well as pecan and olive trees. A Global Collection Garden will display the Botanic Garden’s horticultural exhibits, including a tropical, subtropical, and arid climate examples. An event lawn along the Sims Bayou is expected to be an event space for performing arts, educational programming, and weddings. For children, the Susan Garver Discovery Garden includes the “wildest and most appealing plants for children,” such as carnivorous and water plants.

(Courtesy West 8)
(Courtesy West 8)

“We are honored to be working with West 8, a visionary leader in landscape design. With their expertise, we hope to bring Houstonians an urban oasis where they can disconnect and appreciate the beauty of nature—from rare and exotic plants they have never encountered to natural areas reflecting Houston’s ecosystems,” said Claudia Gee Vassar, president and general counsel of the Houston Botanic Garden, in a statement. The botanic garden is slated to be complete in 2020.

(Courtesy West 8)
(Courtesy West 8)

CLOSE AD ×