About the Project

The Bayou Botanist 

“Chaos was the law of nature; Order was the dream of man.”

- Henry Brooks Adams, from The Education of Henry B. Adams

Houston is going through a revival of its public green spaces; from the recently completed McGovern Centennial Gardens, Buffalo Bayou Park, and Discovery Green, to the established Hermann Park, Japanese Garden and Bayou Bend Gardens, Houstonians more than ever are having a love affair with Green. Gardens highlight our complicated relationship with nature – to contain but let grow, to revere or destroy – all charged by man’s unfailing desire to control its environment. In my project, I will spend one year capturing the changes of Gardens around Houston. This blog will include sketches, photographs, and anecdotes that capture the ephemeral qualities of these gardens throughout the seasons. Along the way, I will investigate the history of landscape design, significance of gardens in various cultures, and the ways in which plants and green spaces have been depicted in art and literature throughout history.  


The Bayou Botanist is funded in part by a grant from the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance.