Gardening for Resilience Symposium

Join the Garden’s in-house experts on the horticulture team for our annual day of learning, with a focus on sharing news and tips relevant to home gardeners, plant enthusiasts, nature lovers, etc. This year’s seminar will focus on building greenspaces that are Texas Tough – capable of outlasting the unpredictability of tomorrow. Presentations will cover common problems encountered in every Houston garden: freezing temperatures, flooding rains, insufferable heat, and hurricane-force winds.

In addition to the following informative lectures from our Garden experts, participants will enjoy opportunities to socialize with presenters and other attendees over coffee and lunch.

Horticulture Symposium Schedule
*see session descriptions below

• 9:30-10 a.m. – Check-in and coffee
• 10-11 a.m. – “Not Frozen Out: Saving Your Tropical Paradise when Temperatures Plummet,” with Gulf Coast Natives and Aquatics Horticulturalist TJ Oliver
• 11 a.m.-12 p.m. – “Flood Mitigation Starts at Home (And It’s Just What Your Garden Needs)” with Horticulture Communications Specialist Cory Saul
• 12-12:30 p.m. – Lunch provided by the Garden
• 12:30-1:30 p.m. – “Gardens that Stand Up to Houston Heat and Drought,” with Senior Horticulturist Laura Webb
• 1:30-2:30 p.m.  – “Wind Resistance: Preparing Your Garden for Hurricane Season,” with Senior Horticulturist Phillip Jennings
• 2:30-3 p.m. – Panel questions, discussion, and networking

Non-member fee of $45 includes general admission to the Garden, access to all lectures and discussion, and food and beverages for the day (coffee and lunch). Garden members receive a $15 discount.

Houston Botanic Garden offers free parking for daytime events, which are held rain or shine. If you have specific questions, please email education@hbg.org.​

Session Descriptions

“Not Frozen Out: Saving Your Tropical Paradise when Temperatures Plummet”
T.J. Oliver, Gulf Coast Natives and Aquatics Horticulturist

We all love our lush gardens full of palms, citrus, hibiscus, and bananas that make Houston feel like tropical paradise. But those occasional winter freezes can catch us off guard and damage our precious plants. Here, we’ll share practical, easy to use strategies — like choosing the right frost cloths, smart mulching and watering techniques, simple DIY covers, and tips for quick recovery so you can confidently protect your garden and keep it thriving year-round.

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“Flood Mitigation Starts at Home (And It’s Just What Your Garden Needs)”
Cory Saul, Horticulture Communications Specialist

When it rains, it pours! Like it or not, Houston gardeners must reckon with a considerable amount of water dumping onto our spaces at any given moment. Instead of seeing our 50-inches per year as a nuisance, let’s explore ways we can harness the gift of rain to benefit our gardens and communities. From building soil that soaks up water, to constructing systems that slow runoff so it doesn’t overwhelm our bayou system, we’ll put that fresh rainwater to work as a free, life-giving force for your garden.

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“Gardens that Stand Up to Houston Heat and Drought”
Laura Webb, Senior Horticulturist

Houston summers have always been hot — and are often dry. Weather trends show that they are just getting hotter and dryer. This discussion will focus on how you can enjoy a landscape that thrives through the heat with low or no supplemental water. You will learn about plant heat adaptations and how to work with them as well as soil considerations, efficient irrigation, and plant selection.

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“Wind Resistance: Preparing Your Garden for Hurricane Season”
Phillip Jennings, Senior Horticulturist

Let’s face it.  Hurricanes and wind events are just a part of living in Houston.  With wind events that can exceed 150 miles per hour and rain that can be as much as 60 inches, it can be challenging at the best of times. From things to do well before a hurricane to what you could expect to address after the event has passed, we will explore things you can do to mitigate the damage to your garden.