McGovern Centennial Gardens

McGovern Centennial Gardens
Image of gardens entrance
Entrance signage
McGovern Centennial Gardens is located in Texas
McGovern Centennial Gardens
TypeGardens
LocationHouston, TX
Coordinates29°43′16″N 95°23′13″W / 29.721°N 95.387°W / 29.721; -95.387
Created2014
Operated byHermann Park Conservancy
StatusOpen year-round, except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day[1]
Plants650 azaleas, 490 trees of over 50 species, 55,000 perennial bulbs, 760 hedge shrubs & 4.5-acre (1.8 ha) of grass[1]
Collections'Earth-Kind' designated antique roses[2]
ParkingStreet or HMNS's parking garage
WebsiteMcGovern Centennial Gardens

McGovern Centennial Gardens is a collection of gardens in Hermann Park, in Houston, Texas, United States.[3]

Description and history

The 15-acre (6.1 ha) park cost $31 million and took approximately eight years to complete, officially opening in December 2014.[4] The gardens consist of the Arid Garden, the Celebration Garden, the Family Garden, the Rose Garden and the Woodland Garden.[1]

The park includes a 30-foot (9.1 m) Garden Mount.[5]

Public art

The Hawkins Sculpture Walk features sculptures of notable figures,[6] including busts of Simón Bolívar (1977),[7] Robert Burns (2002),[8] Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca,[9] Ramón Castilla,[10][11] José Martí,[12][13] Bernardo O'Higgins (1992), José Rizal (2006),[14] Vicente Rocafuerte,[15] Benito Juárez,[16][17] and José de San Martín (1983)[18][19]

McGovern also features Dawn (1971), which was previously installed inside the entrance to the Houston Garden Center,[20] as well as statues of Confucius, Mahatma Gandhi (2004),[21] and Martin Luther King Jr. (2007).[6]

  • The gardens
    The gardens
  • Hawkins Sculpture Walk
    Hawkins Sculpture Walk
  • Hawkins Sculpture Walk, looking north
    Hawkins Sculpture Walk, looking north
  • Hawkins Sculpture Walk panorama
    Hawkins Sculpture Walk panorama
  • McGovern Gardens map
    McGovern Gardens map

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "McCovern Centennial Gardens & Cherie Flores Garden Pavilion". Hermann Park Conservancy. Retrieved 11 August 2023. To commemorate Hermann Park's centennial in 2014, Hermann Park Conservancy transformed the former Houston Garden Center site into the eight-acre McGovern Centennial Gardens. The Gardens were custom-made for Hermann Park and add a new dimension to Houston's garden attractions.
  2. ^ "Rose Garden". Hermann Park Conservancy. Retrieved 11 August 2023. These re-designed rose beds feature a broad range of antique roses: found garden roses, polyanthas, Chinas, Bourbons, teas, climbers, and roses which have received the coveted 'Earth-kind' designation. Earth-kind roses, tested by the Texas AgriLife Extension service, have demonstrated superior pest tolerance along with outstanding landscape performance and reduced maintenance.
  3. ^ "McGovern Centennial Gardens and Cherie Flores Garden Pavilion". Hermann Park Conservancy. Archived from the original on October 17, 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  4. ^ Hasan, Syeda (17 October 2014). "McGovern Centennial Gardens Debut at Hermann Park". Houston Public Media. Retrieved 11 August 2023. The 15-acre site is the park's largest improvement project ever. It cost $31 million and took about eight years to complete.
  5. ^ Huber, Kathy (16 January 2015). "McGovern Centennial Gardens a sensory experience". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 11 August 2023. A park visitor is dwarfed by the 30-foot-tall Garden Mount, a focal point of the McGovern Centennial Gardens in Hermann Park.
  6. ^ a b "Hawkins Sculpture Walk". Hermann Park Conservancy. Archived from the original on September 9, 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  7. ^ "Points of Interest: Simon Bolivar". Hermann Park Conservancy. Archived from the original on October 15, 2015. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
  8. ^ "Points of Interest: Robert Burns". Hermann Park Conservancy. Archived from the original on October 15, 2015. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
  9. ^ "Points of Interest: Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca". Hermann Park Conservancy. Archived from the original on October 15, 2015. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
  10. ^ "Field Marshal Ramon Castilla". City of Houston. Archived from the original on October 15, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2023. The bronze bust of Field Marshall Ramon Castilla has been part of the International Sculpture Garden since 1991. There is no record of the artist. Ramon Castilla y Marquesado served as president of Peru four times. In his early years, he fought as a lieutenant in the Spanish army against revolutionary forces, then switched sides and joined General Jose Francisco de San Martin in the struggle for independence from Spain. As president, he is credited with ending slavery in Peru.
  11. ^ "Points of Interest: Ramon Castilla y Marquesado". Hermann Park Conservancy. Archived from the original on October 15, 2015. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
  12. ^ "Art In Parks, City of Houston (Texas)" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-04-04. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  13. ^ "Points of Interest: Jose Marti". Hermann Park Conservancy. Archived from the original on October 15, 2015. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
  14. ^ "Points of Interest: Dr. Jose P. Rizal". Hermann Park Conservancy. Archived from the original on October 15, 2015. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
  15. ^ "Points of Interest: Vicente Rocafuerte". Hermann Park Conservancy. Archived from the original on October 15, 2015. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
  16. ^ "Civic Art: Benito Juarez". City of Houston. Archived from the original on July 29, 2020. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  17. ^ "Benito Juarez". City of Houston. Archived from the original on July 7, 2017. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  18. ^ "Points of Interest: Jose de San Martin". Hermann Park Conservancy. Archived from the original on October 15, 2015. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
  19. ^ "Jose de San Martin". City of Houston. Archived from the original on April 21, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  20. ^ "Dawn". City of Houston. Archived from the original on October 14, 2015. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
  21. ^ Hegstrom, Edward (October 2, 2004). "Statue dedicated to pacifist, leader Gandhi". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved August 12, 2023. At a downtown Houston peace rally in the months after Sept. 11, 2001, Krishna Vavilala invoked the name of Mahatma Gandhi as an example to follow. Vavilala, a native of India, even suggested that the people of Houston build a statue to remember the pacifist Indian leader. One thing led to another, and today a statue of Gandhi will be dedicated at Hermann Park.


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