This 3.2 acre home of Art and Nina Imperial in historic Lake Jackson, is located about 50 miles south of Houston and 10 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico. In 1942, Dow Chemical established a chemical plant and designed a community to house their employees. The city’s founding fathers in planning the area specified that as many trees as possible would be saved, thus earning the name Tree City USA, and later on, the City of Enchantment. Spanish moss draped trees add to the beauty of this area.

In 1975, we moved to this property without a vision of it being a gardener’s challenge. The oak trees and the lake in the back offered such a picturesque view but no landscaping of any sort existed. Over the years, flower beds, trees, more flower beds and trees and shrubs were planted. The addition of daylilies in the late 80’s started a love affair with these “easy to grow” plants. A gazebo replaced an existing horse barn and later a pergola was built adjacent to it. A collection of newer cultivars hybridized by some favored outstanding growers are housed in these areas. Among these are the Stamiles, the Herringtons, the Salters, David Kirchhoff, Mort Morss, Frank Smith, Ted Petit, Dan Hansen, Jack Carpenter, J. Gossard, M. Reed and J. Murphy, Tim Bell and Curt Hanson. Other new cultivars grown by Charles Douglas, Leo Sharp, Bob Scott and J. Kinnebrew are exhibited in circular and curved beds in the lake side of the property. Perennials and annuals are interspersed and border the artfully arranged beds adding color and beauty to the landscape all year round. A tropical paradise, the garden has a collection of plumerias, hibiscus, palm trees, fruit trees, Japanese maples, orchids and a delightful blend of other plants. A koi pond and several water features add tranquility to the landscape. Ultimately, the eclectic blend of plants and the variety of ways they are featured transformed this garden into an enchanted haven.