The Hoggs' love of nature and especially their respect for the many large trees on the property helped shape the gardens and even the placement of the house. The house was originally designed facing the bayou, but doe to the location of several important trees, which the builders were specifically instructed not to take down, the house was turned 90 degrees to face Lazy Lane. Soon after its completion, the Hoggs named their home Bayou Bend, reflecting the way the Buffalo Bayou bends around three sides of the property.
The thoughtful design and breathtaking beauty of Bayou Bend's gardens are the result of Miss Hogg's creativity and devotion. The landscape encompasses natural woodlands and distinctive formal gardens, featuring a variety of imported and native plants, including spectacular azaleas and camellias. Shortly after the house was built, two gardens were created: the upper garden that is now referred to as the East Garden, and the lower garden, now known as the Clio Garden. With the help of Fleming, the Diana Garden and the Euterpe Garden were next developed north of the house. These two gardens were nearing completion when the Garden club of America met at Bayou Bend in March 1939. Four other gardens were added over the remaining twenty years Miss Hogg lived at Bayou Bend.
Miss Hogg wisely provided for the ongoing care of her gardens, home, and magnificent collection of early American decorative arts into perpetuity by donating Bayou Bend to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and entrusting the oversight of the gardens to River Oaks Garden Club. Bayou Bend opened to the public as a house museum in 1966. Since that period, the museum and the garden club have worked together closely to maintain Miss Hogg's gardens. Today, under the guidance of a master plan adopted in 1966, the estate property is maintained as a historical garden for all to enjoy.
Bayou Bend is situated in the heart of River Oaks, a remote and tranquil suburb when it was originally developed in the 1920s by the Hogg family of Texas. In 1926 Miss Ima Hogg and her brothers Will and Mike began to plan a home for themselves on a fourteen-acre site of prime real estate in the Homewoods section of River Oaks, bordered on the north by a large bend of the Buffalo Bayou. Originally the site was a wild woods of lush native plants such as yaupon holly, cherry laurel, and towering pines. With the help of prominent Houston architect John Staub and landscape architect C. C. Fleming, they set out to transform the wilderness into a place of beauty. The house, designed by Staub, was based on English and American architecture of the 18th century in its plan and proportions, but the pink stucco elevation and cast-iron details were chosen to reflect the architectural heritage of the Gulf Coast.
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