H ouston Botanic Garden is celebrating its fifth birthday this fall. Formed on the historic 132-acre former Glenbrook Golf Course on Sims Bayou, the garden has become a beloved oasis of plant life and a much-needed addition to the Bayou City’s green spaces.

But how did it all begin?

Two interviews with Houston Botanic Garden power women, conducted in 2020 before the garden’s official unveiling , unearthed from the PaperCity archives reveal plenty. Nancy Stallworth Thomas was one of the garden’s original visionaries, alongside the late Kay Crooker. Nancy O’Connor Abendshein played a leading role in the garden’s creation, and was recently recognized with the Visionary Award for Expanding Houston’s Green Space at the Houston PaperCity 2025 Design Awards.

Ahead of Houston B

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