May News from the Garden

Greetings! Finding this photograph in the archives only heightened our dismay that we currently aren't able to offer tours of the garden, especially during one of the most beautiful months of the year. So we are disappointed that even though the Texas stay-at-home order expires today, we have decided to remain closed for the time being. This crisis has made clear how valuable public gardens are to our society, and we are disappointed we can't open for those who would like to visit. Protecting the health of our staff and our guests, however, is our top priority. We are carefully monitoring the situation and will reopen when we are convinced we can do so while not unduly jeopardizing anyone's healthy or their experience at the garden.

Garden Announces New Executive Director Randy Twaddle has been announced as Executive Director of The John Fairey Garden Conservation Foundation beginning May 1st. Twaddle has served on the board of the foundation since 2015, most recently as board president. Prior to this appointment, Twaddle was the founding Principal of Small Town, a branding and communications firm in Houston. Twaddle is also a practicing visual artist. ‘I am thrilled to have the opportunity to help bring this garden the recognition it deserves, both as a globally significant conservation garden and as one of the most distinct and beautiful gardens in the world.’ said Twaddle. ‘Randy will provide the necessary leadership and commitment to not only preserve and protect John’s Legacy but also to complete the Garden’s transition from private estate to vital public institution.’ said acting Board President, Adam Adams. “The future looks bright.”

Featured Plant for May Litsea japonica Very rare in cultivation, this slow-growing shrub is among the few that maintains a dense form in medium shade without pruning. Blue-green above with fuzzy golden undersides, its attractive foliage is reminiscent of the cool-climate big-leaf rhododendrons that we can’t otherwise grow here, and therefore lends a unique presence in the garden you’d otherwise expect to see in the Pacific Northwest. With such amazing foliage, you won’t care that the flowers are tiny and ornamentally insignificant . 

Some Closeups from the Garden

Look for Our New Website Soon One of the advantages of this forced timeout is that we've been able to focus on creating a new website for the garden. We plan to complete it sometime this month and will be sure to notify our members when it's ready. We think you'll find the site makes it easier to sign up for events, volunteer, and contribute. We also think you'll like seeing more photographs of the garden than we've had on our current site. Stay tuned for the launch!