According to the Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens their story began with Thelma and Charles Mercer, who bought 14.5 acres of wild woods alongside Cypress Creek in 1949. The only opening in the wooded land was a small burned area. Over the next 24 years, the Mercers created a garden paradise despite floods, droughts, and nature’s other familiar ravages.
Additional land was cleared to make space for existing native trees such as Dogwoods, Parsley Hawthorns, and Rusty Blackhaw Viburnums. Other trees and shrubs including camellias, gingkos, orchid trees, and azaleas were planted by Thelma and Charles. Many of these original trees and plantings are thriving today in the central gardens of Mercer. Initially, Thelma Mercer was someone who, in her own words, “didn’t know one plant from another.” But she became an accomplished horticulturist and spent much of her time digging flowerbeds, planting, and potting plants. The goldfish pool near the staff building was dug by Charles Mercer as a focal point in the gardens.
In 1973, Charles retired and the Mercers decided to move to Zapata in the Rio Grande Valley. It must have been a difficult decision to leave a place in which they had invested so much labor and love. Rather than sell their beloved paradise at a profit to developers, Thelma wrote to county officials recommending that the county purchase the site. Her original letter is at Mercer today. Although the Mercers were not wealthy, they offered the property to Harris County at a price far below its market value, with a stipulation that it would be used as a garden and horticultural education facility. With the lobbying efforts of many garden clubs and community leaders, Harris County bought the property.
Thelma and Charles Mercer’s vision became reality: Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens, a nationally recognized, 300-acre horticultural treasure, now showcases the Gulf Coast Region’s largest collection of native and cultivated plants. Each year 250,000 visitors, including thousands of children, come to Mercer to enjoy the gardens and learn how important plants are to the environment and the community’s quality of life.
Join the Mercer Arboretum for the garden party of the year! This gala evening event includes dinner, silent and live auctions and the opportunity to stroll the gardens in the moonlight. For ticket and table information call 281-443-8731. Be sure to ask about becoming a VIP guest.
