Building Anticipation for Houston’s Brand New Showcase Green Space of the Future: Sneak Preview of Houston Botanic Garden Pulls in $580,000, Sprouts Big Dreams

While the Houston Botanic Garden is a seedling, yet to fully sprout on the banks of Sims Bayou, the “gardeners” rallied at River Oaks Country Club in a palette of floral fashions for the annual luncheon, held in anticipation of the 2020 opening. It was as if spring had sprung in early October.

Indeed, there was a spring-like energy among the SRO gathering of 500 supporters, who ran the gamut from State Representative Carol Alvarado and City Councilman to Robert Gallegos to a clutch of Houston bluebloods to a flock of social swans. Members of the city’s premier garden clubs (i.e. the Garden Club of Houston and River Oaks Garden Club) were center front.

Leading the ensemble were chairs Aliyya Stude, Laurie Morian and Anne French, who could bask in the luncheon’s success with proceeds of $580,000. Few could have been happier with that than board chair Nancy O’Connor Abendshein, who has headed the effort with energy and passion.

One who is equally if not more passionate about the garden is Nancy Thomas, who had the initial vision to create the world class botanical garden and who on this day was named inaugural honoree of the annual luncheon.

HBG’s president and general counsel Claudia Gee Vassar informed that work on construction documents for the 120-acre garden are about to proceed and that in partnership with Trees for Houston, the garden has a tree farm where more than 1,100 are trees growing for the garden.

Next up was ceviche and margaritas. Now that’s a way to entertain a luncheon crowd, particularly when James Beard Award winning chef Hugo Ortega and River Oaks Country Club chef Charles Carroll take the culinary spotlight along with caterer/event planner Elizabeth Swift. The humor-infused cooking demonstration followed Swift’s imaginary walk-through of the Houston Botanic Garden while renderings of the garden appeared on vast screens.

Garden growers: Cherie Flores, Isla and Tommy Reckling, Mary and John Eads, Cathy and Joe Cleary, Susie and Mel Glasscock, Lynne Hudson, Herman Stude, Zeina Fares, Tracy Vaught, Bobbie Nau, Terry Smith, Roni Atnipp, Andy Icken, Carole Bailey, Sheridan Williams, Y. Ping Sun, Lisa Mears, Courtney Sarofim, and Martha Adger.