This "living museum" is a careful labor of planting that took root--the flowering trees that were once exotic grow naturally today.

by Contributor

The Experience
On one side of Aldine Westfield is 11.5 acres of formal gardens, described perfectly by garden personnel as a "living museum" of dogwoods, rusty blackhaws and hawthorns. Sure, you've noticed that there are a lot of flowers, shrubs, and trees in Houston, but you have no idea how diverse this area's plant life is until you have walked through this magnificent natural gallery. It's well worth the trip.

The View
Across the street is the 203-acre arboretum. Exotic species that were planted but grow freely today include camellias, camphor, ginko, philadelphus and bauhinia. Enjoy the greenhouse and formal gardens. Bring a picnic and stay all afternoon, hiking the five miles of nature and garden trails. If you have a canoe, there's a launch on Spring Creek, but the water level and behavior on any given day is unpredictable. Please leave glass containers and dogs at home.