Mark and Nancy bought their house on a 0.4 acre lot with a garden in mind.  Only six miles from downtown Houston (the fourth largest city in the US), the garden reflects the diversity of the city surrounding it.  The garden has elements from the old south with over 25 mature azalea bushes and 3 large mature oak trees in the front yard.  The back yard and house reflect Houston’s western and hispanic cultures in its architecture elements.  It is also a playground for the owner’s sons, and is a work in progress.

Some part of the garden is in bloom throughout the year.  Plants include Amaryllis, Salvias, Hibiscus, Plumeria, Crape Myrtles, Louisiana Iris, Crinums, Bromeliads, and thirty different award winning Roses.  Also, there are vines and perennials to feed the numerous butterflies.  However, the focus on the garden is on daylilies, which number over 500.  Being garden judges, the collection has a large number of award winners including over 250 honorable mention winners (of which over 100 also won an award of merit).  Daylilies from every decade of the last century as well as a few species are also in the AHS display garden.  Grouping is by hybridizer, color or type.

Houston is about at the same latitude as central Florida.  As such, the collection has a large number of cultivars from Florida hybridizers.  Represented are daylilies from the Hansens, David Kirchhoff, the Kinnebrews, Leo Sharp, and the Stamiles.  Also in the collection are daylilies from Bob Carr, Ludlow Lambertson, Dave Talbott, and the Trimmers among others. 

However, the largest group is from the Lily Farm of Jack Carpenter and Josie Bomar with over 60 different cultivars.  The Lily Farm is where the first “real” daylilies were bought ten years ago.  Other Texas hybridizers include; Hugh Russell, Lucille Williamson, J.L. Cruise, Dollie Wheeler, Inez Tarrant, Nell Crandall, Ury Winniford, Mildred Schlumpf, Bobo Faggard, Mary Gage, Anna Rosa Glidden, Leon Payne and Bill Jarvis.