87th Azalea Trail - River Oaks Garden Club
Fri Mar 8, 2024 11:00 AM - Sun Mar 10, 2024 5:00 PM
River Oaks, 77019
Description
87th River Oaks Garden Club Azalea Trail
Visit Seven Gardens for $30
The Garden Tour Stops for 2024
Park complimentary at The Forum then ride the complimentary round-trip shuttle to all 6 other locations. Shuttle offers pickup and dropoff at each location.
The Forum of Civics Building and Garden, ROGC's Own Garden at 2503 Westheimer Road
The Forum of Civics began life as a country schoolhouse in 1910 far from the city limits of Houston. In 1925, it was purchased by William C. Hogg, son of the first native-born governor of Texas, who enlisted famed architect John F. Staub to transform the building into a New England-style meeting house. Purchased by ROGC in 1942, it is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Welcome to our home!
- Open daily, March 8, 9 and 10, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Ask the Experts: Visit with local gardening experts and get tips for your garden.
- Outdoor Market: Shop for food, drinks, and local goods, Friday only
- Free valet parking. Buses depart here for all stops.
Four Private Gardens in River Oaks
Throughout the history of the Azalea Trail, select homeowners have generously offered an intimate viewing of their beautiful private home gardens which are carefully curated. 2024 Azalea Trail goers will be able to tour four River Oaks private home gardens with unique and breathtaking designs. Each home garden offers an abundance of inspiration with countless enticing planting combinations, creative concepts, and emerging trends as well as stunning floral displays. Exact location addresses will be shared on purchased ticket details and order confirmation emails.
Bayou Bend Collection & Gardens at 6003 Memorial Drive
Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, a branch of The Museum of Fine Arts Houston, is an oasis of nature and beauty located just five minutes from downtown Houston and was one of the first homes built in the new subdivision of River Oaks. Ima Hogg and her brothers, Will and Mike Hogg, chose this 14-acre site for their home in 1926. The stately John F. Staub mansion is filled with Miss Hogg’s extensive collection of American antiques and art. Bayou Bend is surrounded by natural woodlands and historical formal gardens, which have been supervised and maintained by ROGC since 1961. The gardens feature multiple varieties of azaleas and camellias as well as dogwoods, redbuds, and an award-winning sycamore. A highlight of the trail is the large bed at the southern entrance. This year the bed will feature 6000 tulip bulbs (Diamond White, Olliocules, and White Proud) and 1500 daffodils (Thalia) planted by members of the ROGC. The Lora Jean Kilroy Visitor and Education Center, which opened in 2010, is a LEED silver-certified building surrounded by an urban garden with native plants.
Rienzi, MFAH house museum for European Decorative Arts and Gardens at 1406 Kirby Drive
Situated on four acres in the heart of River Oaks, Rienzi, the former home of philanthropists Carroll Sterling Masterson and Harris Masterson III, has long been known for its fine collection of European decorative arts, including paintings, furnishings, porcelain, and extensive holdings of miniatures, and its lush gardens and woodland setting. John F. Staub designed the original house in 1952 which he referred to as “Palladian with contemporary.” In 1971, the Mastersons commissioned Hugo Neuhaus to design the opulent ballroom addition. Rienzi was used and enjoyed by the Masterson family until 1997 when the property and its contents were given to The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Ralph Ellis Gunn was entrusted to design the landscape which includes a combination of formal gardens and native plants. Visitors will see numerous young trees planted throughout the estate, thanks to gifts from The Garden Club of Houston, ROGC, and the Sterling-Turner Foundation. Since 1998, Rienzi’s gardens have been maintained by The Garden Club of Houston.
Additional Details
- Free Admission at The Forum
- Outdoor Market at The Forum, Friday only: Shop for food, drinks, and local goods
- Single Admission $10 (payable on location)
- Children under the age of 14 are free
- Limited wheelchair access
- Strollers not recommended
- Rain or Shine
Thanks to the generosity of our patrons, we have been able to make a significant impact in our community. We hope that you enjoy this year’s gardens and the events at our home, The Forum of Civics. Thank you for your support of our biennial event.
Proceeds from the Azalea Trail Support these Ongoing Projects:
- Maintenance of the Forum of Civics Building and Gardens
- Historical Preservation and Maintenance of Bayou Bend Gardens
- Bayou Bend Garden Endowment, a Charitable Trust for the Care of Bayou Bend Gardens
- The Annual Sadie Gwin Blackburn Environmental Seminar
- Publication of “A Garden Book for Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast”
Location
River Oaks, 77019