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The Houston Museum of Fine Arts |
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Hermann Park |
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Return to the Index Page for our Trip to Houston |
We visited the McGovern Gardens a few times during our Houston visit; I went once on my own and then a couple of times with Prudence, Nancy, Fred, and Jax. While the gardens are fairly small, occupying a site at the northeast corner of Hermann Park, they were pretty and interesting- especially the ziggurat-like mound at the northwest end of the gardens.
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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 added a new dimension to Houston’s garden attractions.
The area is divided into a variety of themed garden rooms arranged situated along a spacious central lawn, the Centennial Green, and these "rooms" are home to more than 490 new trees of over 50 species, 760 hedge shrubs, 55,000 perennial bulbs, 650 azaleas and 4.5 acres of grass.
The themed areas include the Arid Garden, the Rose Garden, the Celebration Garden, and the Woodland Garden, and an educational Family Garden, which produces seasonal vegetables, herbs and fruit trees. The main entry into the Gardens is through the Cherie Flores Garden Pavilion, which was designed by Peter Bohlin, architect of Apple stores worldwide; the Garden Pavilion is located at the southeast end of the central lawn.
We entered the Centennial Garden usually through the Hawkins Sculpture Walk, which leads from the northwest corner of the garden at Caroline Street and Hermann Drive, southeast into the gardens- ending at the artificial ziggurat hill called The Mount.
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So, in no particular order, here are the areas of the McGovern Centennial Garden that we visited.
The Hawkins Sculpture Walk
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I photographed the sculpture along the walk; here they are:
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Álvar Núńez Cabeza de Vaca (c. 1490 - c. 1559) was a Spanish explorer of the New World, and one of four survivors of the 1527 Narváez expedition. During eight years of traveling across the US Southwest, he became a trader and faith healer to various Native American tribes before reconnecting with Spanish civilization in Mexico in 1536. After returning to Spain in 1537, he wrote an account, first published in 1542 as La relación y comentarios ("The Account and Commentaries"), which in later editions was retitled Naufragios y comentarios ("Shipwrecks and Commentaries"). Cabeza de Vaca is sometimes considered a proto-anthropologist for his detailed accounts of the many tribes of Native Americans that he encountered.
In 1540, Cabeza de Vaca was appointed "adelantado" of what is now Argentina, where he was governor and captain general of New Andalusia. He worked to build up the population of Buenos Aires but, charged with poor administration, he was arrested in 1544 and then transported to Spain for trial in 1545. Although his sentence was eventually commuted, he never returned to the Americas. He died in Seville.
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Benito Pablo Juárez García (1806 – 1872) was a Mexican lawyer and president of Mexico. He was of Zapotec origin from Oaxaca, born into a poor, rural family; he became a well-educated, urban professional and politician, who married a socially prominent woman of Oaxaca City, Margarita Maza. He identified primarily as a Liberal and wrote only briefly about his indigenous heritage.
He held power during the tumultuous decade of the Liberal Reform and French invasion. In 1858 as head of the Supreme Court, he became president of Mexico by the succession mandated by the Constitution of 1857 when moderate liberal President Ignacio Comonfort was forced to resign by Mexican conservatives. Juárez remained in the presidential office until his death by natural causes in 1872. He weathered the War of the Reform (1858–60), a civil war between Liberals and Conservatives, and then the French invasion (1862–67), which was supported by Mexican Conservatives. Never relinquishing office although forced into exile in areas of Mexico not controlled by the French, Juárez tied Liberalism to Mexican nationalism and maintained that he was the legitimate head of the Mexican state, rather than Emperor Maximilian. When the French-backed Second Mexican Empire fell in 1867, the Mexican Republic with Juárez as president was restored to full power. In his success in ousting the European incursion, Latin Americans considered his a "second struggle for independence, a second defeat for the European powers, and a second reversal of the Conquest."
He is now considered a preeminent symbol of Mexican nationalism and resistance to foreign intervention, a practical and skilled politician, controversial in his lifetime and beyond. He had an understanding of the importance of a working relationship with the United States, and secured its recognition for his liberal government during the War of the Reform. Although many of his positions shifted during his political life, he held fast to particular principles including the supremacy of civil power over the Catholic Church and part of the military; respect for law; and the de-personalization of political life. In his lifetime he sought to strengthen the national government and asserted the supremacy of central power over states, a position that both radical and provincial liberals opposed. He was the subject of polemical attacks both in his lifetime and beyond. However, the place of Juárez in Mexican historical memory has enshrined him as a major Mexican hero, beginning in his own lifetime. His birthday is a national public and patriotic holiday in Mexico, Juárez being the only individual Mexican so honored.
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Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme (1778–1842) was a Chilean independence leader who freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. He was a wealthy landowner of Spanish and Irish ancestry. Although he was the second Supreme Director of Chile (1817–1823), he is considered one of Chile's founding fathers, as he was the first holder of this title to head a fully independent Chilean state.
Bernardo O'Higgins was the illegitimate son of the 1st Marquis of Osorno; he spent his early years with his mother's family and was never openly acknowledged by his father. At age 15, O'Higgins was sent to Lima by his father who did finance his eduation, sending him eventually to London to complete them. There, he acquired American ideas of independence and developed a sense of nationalist pride. When his father died in 1801, he returned to Chile and became a gentleman farmer and local politician, eventually helping take steps towards national independence.
For the next twenty years, O'Higgins rose within the patriotic groups that aimed to achieve Chilean independence. He was both an intellectual supporter of the movement and also a general in the field, participating in numerous battles with the Royalists who attempted to keep Chile under the control of Spain. Independence was achieved by 1818, and O'Higgins became Chile's leader. For six years, O'Higgins was a largely successful leader, and his government initially functioned well. Within Chile, O'Higgins established markets, courts, colleges, libraries, hospitals, and cemeteries, and began important improvements in agriculture. He founded the Chilean Military Academy in 1817 and also founded the modern Chilean Navy. O'Higgins continued in his desire to see independence across Latin America, utilising his new forces to support San Martín, sending the Liberating expedition to Perú.
O'Higgins, however, began to alienate important political groupings; his radical and liberal reforms threatened the power structure. He was deposed in 1923, and on his way into exile was invited to Peru where he participated in the successful independence movement there. By the 1840s, his reputation in Chile was being rehabilitated, and he was asked to return, but died before he could do so. Today, he is revered as one of the nation's founding fathers.
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José Francisco de San Martín y Matorras (1778 - 1850), known simply as José de San Martín or El Libertador of Argentina, Chile and Peru, was a Spanish-Argentine general and the prime leader of the southern and central parts of South America's successful struggle for independence from the Spanish Empire who served as the Protector of Peru. Born in Yapeyú, Corrientes, in modern-day Argentina, he left his mother country at the early age of seven to study in Málaga, Spain.
In 1808, after taking part in the Peninsular War against France, San Martín contacted South American supporters of independence from Spain. In 1812, he set sail for Buenos Aires and offered his services to the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, present-day Argentina. After the Battle of San Lorenzo and time commanding the Army of the North during 1814, he organized a plan to defeat the Spanish forces that menaced the United Provinces from the north, using an alternative path to the Viceroyalty of Peru. This objective first involved the establishment of a new army, the Army of the Andes, in Cuyo Province, Argentina. From there, he led the Crossing of the Andes to Chile, and triumphed at the Battle of Chacabuco and the Battle of Maipú (1818), thus liberating Chile from royalist rule. Then he sailed to attack the Spanish stronghold of Lima, Peru.
On 12 July 1821, after seizing partial control of Lima, San Martín was appointed Protector of Peru, and Peruvian independence was officially declared on 28 July. On 22 July 1822, after a closed-door meeting with fellow libertador Simón Bolívar at Guayaquil, Ecuador, Bolívar took over the task of fully liberating Peru. San Martín unexpectedly left the country and resigned the command of his army, excluding himself from politics and the military, and moved to France in 1824.
San Martín is regarded as a national hero of Argentina and Peru, and one of the Liberators of Spanish South America. The Order of the Liberator General San Martín (Orden del Libertador General San Martín), created in his honor, is the highest decoration conferred by the Argentine government.
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José Julián Martí Pérez (1853 – 1895) was a Cuban poet, essayist, journalist, translator, professor, and publisher, who is considered a Cuban national hero and an important figure in Latin American literature. Through his writings and political activity, he became a symbol of Cuba's bid for independence against Spain in the 19th century, and is referred to as the "Apostle of Cuban Independence." From adolescence, he dedicated his life to the promotion of liberty, political independence for Cuba, and intellectual independence for all Spanish Americans; his death was used as a cry for Cuban independence from Spain by both the Cuban revolutionaries and those Cubans previously reluctant to start a revolt.
Born in Havana, Martí traveled extensively in Spain, Latin America, and the United States, raising awareness and support for the cause of Cuban independence. His unification of the Cuban émigré community, particularly in Florida, was crucial to the success of the Cuban War of Independence against Spain. He was a key figure in the planning and execution of this war, as well as the designer of the Cuban Revolutionary Party and its ideology. He died in military action during the Battle of Dos Ríos on May 19, 1895.
Martí is considered one of the great turn-of-the-century Latin American intellectuals. His written works include a series of poems, essays, letters, lectures, novels, and a children's magazine. He wrote for numerous Latin American and American newspapers; he also founded a number of newspapers- important instruments in his campaign for Cuban independence. After his death, one of his poems from the book, Versos Sencillos (Simple Verses) was adapted to the song "Guantanamera", which has become the definitive patriotic song of Cuba.
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Vicente Rocafuerte y Bejarano (1783 – 1847) was an influential figure in Ecuadorian politics and President of Ecuador between 1834 and 1839. Born into an aristocratic family in Guayaquil, Ecuador, he was sent to Madrid to finish his education. He returned to Ecuador in 1807, and committed himself to freeing his land, first from Spanish rule, and later from the Republic of Gran Colombia. After Ecuadorian independence, Rocafuerte was elected a member of the National Congress for Pichincha Province. He led the opposition to President Juan José Flores, who exiled him to Peru.
Rocafuerte returned, and in 1833, became Governor of Guayas Province. He revolted against Flores, but was defeated and imprisoned. Because of the respect he was held in by his many supporters, Rocafuerte negotiated a settlement with Flores, and was released from prison. The settlement allowed Flóres to finish his term in office, and promised Rocafuerte would become president afterwards, with Flores to head the army. During his presidency, Rocafuerte passed a new constitution in 1835, and gave greater protection to Native Americans in Ecuador.
In 1839, after Rocafuerte had left office, Flores was again elected president, and for some time there were no difficulties between the two men. However, after electoral irregularities in 1843, Flores annulled the 1835 constitution and passed a new one, called by Rocafuerte 'The Letter of Slavery'. When Flores took up a third term as president in 1843, Rocafuerte left Ecuador in protest. After a short rebellion, Rocafuerte and Vicente Ramón Roca overthrew Flores on March 6, 1845, and Roca became president of Ecuador later that year. Under Vicente Ramón Roca's presidency, Rocafuerte was appointed as special representative to various South American countries. He died on May 16, 1847.
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Robert Burns (1759 – 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, the National Bard, Bard of Ayrshire and the Ploughman Poet and various other names and epithets, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who have written in the Scots language, although much of his writing is also in English and a light Scots dialect, accessible to an audience beyond Scotland. He also wrote in standard English, and in these writings his political or civil commentary is often at its bluntest.
He is regarded as a pioneer of the Romantic movement, and after his death he became a great source of inspiration to the founders of both liberalism and socialism, and a cultural icon in Scotland and among the Scottish diaspora around the world. Celebration of his life and work became almost a national charismatic cult during the 19th and 20th centuries, and his influence has long been strong on Scottish literature. In 2009 he was chosen as the greatest Scot by the Scottish public in a vote run by Scottish television channel STV.
As well as making original compositions, Burns also collected folk songs from across Scotland, often revising or adapting them. His poem (and song) "Auld Lang Syne" is often sung on the last day of the year, and "Scots Wha Hae" served for a long time as an unofficial national anthem of the country. Other poems and songs of Burns that remain well known across the world today include "A Red, Red Rose", "A Man's a Man for A' That", "To a Louse", "To a Mouse", "The Battle of Sherramuir", "Tam o' Shanter" and "Ae Fond Kiss".
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Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar Palacios Ponte y Blanco (Why are Spanish names so often such a mouthful?) (1783 - 1830), generally known as Simón Bolívar or the Liberator, was a Venezuelan military and political leader who led the secession of what are currently the states of Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Panama from the Spanish Empire.
Bolívar was born into a wealthy, aristocratic family and, as was common for the heirs of upper-class families in his day, was sent to be educated abroad at a young age, arriving in Spain when he was 16 and later moving to France. While in Europe, he was introduced to the ideas of the Enlightenment, which later motivated him to overthrow the reigning Spanish in colonial South America. Taking advantage of the disorder in Spain prompted by the Peninsular War, Bolívar began his campaign for independence in 1808. The campaign for the independence of New Granada was consolidated with the victory at the Battle of Boyacá in 1819. Despite a number of hindrances, including the arrival of an unprecedentedly large Spanish expeditionary force, the revolutionaries eventually prevailed, culminating in the patriot victory at the Battle of Carabobo in 1821, which effectively made Venezuela an independent country.
Following this triumph, Bolívar participated in the foundation of the first union of independent nations in Latin America, Gran Colombia, of which he was president from 1819 to 1830. Through further military campaigns, he ousted Spanish rulers from Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, the last of which was named after him. He was simultaneously president of Gran Colombia (present-day Venezuela, Colombia, Panama and Ecuador), Peru, and Bolivia, but soon after, his second-in-command, Antonio José de Sucre, was appointed president of Bolivia. Bolívar aimed at a strong and united Spanish America able to cope not only with the threats emanating from Spain and the European Holy Alliance but also with the emerging power of the United States. At the peak of his power, Bolívar ruled over a vast territory from the Argentine border to the Caribbean Sea.
Bolívar is viewed as a national icon in much of modern South America, and is considered one of the great heroes of the Hispanic independence movements of the early 19th century, along with José de San Martín, Francisco de Miranda and others. Towards the end of his life, Bolívar despaired of the situation in his native region, with the famous quote "all who served the revolution have plowed the sea". In an address to the Constituent Congress of the Republic of Colombia, Bolívar stated "Fellow citizens! I blush to say this: Independence is the only benefit we have acquired, to the detriment of all the rest."
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Ramón Castilla y Marquesado (1797 – 1867) was a Peruvian caudillo who served as President of Peru three times as well as the Interim President of Peru (Revolution Self-proclaimed President) in 1863. His earliest prominent appearance in Peruvian history began with his participation in a commanding role of the army of the Libertadores that helped Peru become an independent nation. Later, he led the country when the economy boomed due to the exploitation of guano deposits. Castilla's governments are remembered for having abolished slavery and modernized the state.
He assumed the presidency for the first time after general Domingo Nieto's death for a short period in 1844, then in 1845 until 1851, again from 1855 to 1862 and, finally, during a brief period in 1863.
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José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Realonda (1861 – 1896) was a Filipino nationalist and polymath during the tail end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. An ophthalmologist by profession, Rizal became a writer and a key member of the Filipino Propaganda Movement which advocated political reforms for the colony under Spain.
He was executed by the Spanish colonial government for the crime of rebellion after the Philippine Revolution, inspired in part by his writings, broke out. Though he was not actively involved in its planning or conduct, he ultimately approved of its goals which eventually led to Philippine independence.
He is widely considered one of the greatest heroes of the Philippines and has been recommended to be so honored by an officially empaneled National Heroes Committee. However, no law, executive order or proclamation has been enacted or issued officially proclaiming any Filipino historical figure as a national hero. He was the author of the novels Noli Me Tángere and El filibusterismo, and a number of poems and essays.
The Mount
At the northwest end of the Centennial Green sits the 30-foot Garden Mount- an artificial mound that features a spiral walkway leading to the top and an artificial waterfall on its southeastern slope- facing the garden pavilion. First, here are two views of The Mount itself:
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As you can see in the right-hand picture above, there is an artificial, stairstepped waterfall on the side of The Mount that faces the Centennial Green.
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The second time the walkway crosses the waterfall is halfway up The Mount. Many people stop at that point to admire the way the waterfall is structured, with its stairsteps built into the course of the falls. Thie results in what appears to be a continual series of rapids, and adds a good deal of interest (not to mention sound as well).
Now, let's take a closer look at The Mound and the walkway to the top. I made two good movies here at The Mound. One was made at the base of the 30-foot structure, at the southeast side next to the Centennial Green. Then, I walked over to the beginning of the spiral walkway and made another movie as I walked up the spiral path to the top.
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(Mouseover Image Above for Video Controls) |
(Mouseover Image Above for Video Controls) |
From the top of the Mound, of course, there were expansive views in all directions- even though you are only 35 feet or so higher than ground level. The nicest view, as you might expect, is in the direction of the Centennial Green and Garden Pavilion. I took a number of pictures from the top, as well as a couple of panoramic views. The panoramas that I allowed my camera to do on its own really didn't turn out very well, but those that I created by stitching together individual pictures turned out much better.
Here is a 180° view that was created from eight separate pictures taken from the top of the mound; it's in a scrollable window so you can see a large version of the view:
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I also took a series of three pictures looking towards the Garden Pavilion, and put them together to show you the display gardens at the left, the Centennial Green and Garden Pavilion in the center, and the rose garden at the right:
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The tall building left of center is a residential condominium tower, and the lower buildings to its right part of the nearby Medical Center complex.
I thought that the Mount was really a neat feature to anchor this end of the McGovern Garden, but we also wanted to take a closer look at the gardens themselves.
The Woodland Garden/Family Garden/Celebration Garden
As one looks towards the Garden Pavilion from the top of The Mount, all the main features of the Garden are in view. The Centennial Green and Garden Pavilion are in the middle; the Woodland, Family, and Celebration gardens at on the left (north); and the Arid, Rose, and Pine Hill Walk gardens are on the right (south).
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The Woodland Garden, nearest to me, has a curved path through it; the Family garden is further away; and the Celebration Garden is adjacent to the Garden Pavilion.
The Woodland Garden illustrates how extensive shade can be a challenge; the desire for shade can offset the gardener’s ability to showcase bright blooms. Azaleas and camellias, species native to Southeast Asia, were introduced into Houston gardens as early as the 1920s, and have become enormously popular as well as successful transplants into this semi-tropical environment. These showy species prefer acidic, woodland soils and dappled light conditions. The Woodland Garden features broad sweeps of azaleas and camellias as well as native understory trees, shade-loving ferns, and naturalizing bulbs.
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The Cherie Flores Garden Pavilion and Centennial Green
The Cherie Flores Garden Pavilion serves as the main entryway to the McGovern Centennial Gardens and offers a stunning view of a 30-foot garden mount across the expansive Centennial Green.
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Rose Garden, Arid Garden, and Pine Hill Walk
Just south of the Centennial Green lie these three garden areas, and we walked through them a couple of times.
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Water is essential to life on Earth, and recent and devastating droughts in Texas demonstrate that water conservation is essential to our survival. The Arid Garden showcases a range of plant species with low water and maintenance needs. Many of these agaves, aloes, and yuccas are native to the higher plateaus of northern and central Mexico, a reminder that political boundaries cannot divide our shared horticultural heritage. Dramatic, architectural forms and bright blooms make them a beautiful as well as water-wise choice for Houston gardens.
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Let's finish up our visit to the McGovern Centennial Garden with some final pictures taken on and around the Centennial Green:
 This picture of Nancy and Prudence was taken from the green and looking through the hedges to a Japanese pagoda structure that is adjacent to the Pine Hill Walk. |
 This view, from the walkway partway up the Mount, shows the Cherie Flores Garden Pavilion and the Rose Garden, Arid Garden, and Pine Hill Walk south of the green. |
 These are the arbors on the south side of Centennial Green as we look towards the Garden Pavilion. |
 From the Garden Pavilion, we are looking along the south side arbor towards the Mount. |
You can use the links below to continue to another photo album page.
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The Houston Museum of Fine Arts |
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Hermann Park |
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Return to the Index Page for our Trip to Houston |
