Bayou Bend Gardens
River Oaks Garden Club, Zone IX
06/01/2024
In 1961 Miss Ima Hogg granted the River Oaks Garden Club (ROGC) permanent supervision and maintenance of the 14-acre gardens of her home, Bayou Bend. For 63 years the organization’s volunteers have devoted their time and talents to preserving and enhancing the historic gardens.
A derecho (a widespread, long-lived, straight-line wind storm that is associated with a fast-moving group of severe thunderstorms known as a mesoscale convective system) struck the Gulf Coast of the United States from Southeast Texas to Florida, causing widespread damage, particularly in the city of Houston and surrounding metropolitan area. At Bayou Bend, four trees were downed in storm. Impacted were also additional plants and under story trees, sprinkler system, and brickwork damaged from tree impact in the Clio Garden.
River Oaks Garden Club cares deeply for the gardens at The Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, and the funds would help us restore the garden. We care and fund the historic gardens and The Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH) owns the property and houses their American Collection of Antiques in the house at Bayou Bend. It was, therefore, necessary for the storm damaged trees and branches to be removed as quickly as possible to allow emergency vehicles access to the house and for the gardens to be opened with no danger to the public. Because Bayou Bend Garden is an historic garden, ROGC will replace each lost tree with a mature tree of the same genus/species in the exact same location per our Master Plan written by Suzanne Turner Associates. The tree replacement will take place in the fall, as soon as the heat abates and the weather is conducive to tree rooting. We will replace yaupon hedges, boxwood, yews and azaleas that were damaged by the fallen trees. It is very important to maintain the historic aspect of this Country Place Era Estate Garden.
