Most of Bayou Bend's gardens evolved between 1934 and 1942. Miss Hogg collaborated with professional landscape architects--especially the partnership of Pat Fleming and Albert Sheppard--to create an elegant series of gardens. An active and intrepid gardener, she acquired plants from across the country and experimented until she found varieties that could tolerate Houston's sultry weather, poor drainage, and alkaline soil. Miss Hogg is often credited with introducing camellias to Houston and with popularizing azaleas. In 1934 Bayou Bend was included in Houston's first Azalea Trail, sponsored by the River Oaks Garden Club. Since then it has been a highlight of the annual event.

The gardens changed little until the late 1950s, when the transformation from private to public estate began. A new entrance was added to the northwest of the house, and visitors now approach via Westcott Drive rather than the original entry on Lazy Lane.

Miss Hogg had been a member of the River Oaks Garden Club since 1928--just one year after it was established. In 1961 she invited the organization to assume permanent supervision of the grounds. Since then, the club's volunteers have generously devoted their time, talent, and resources to protecting, preserving, and restoring the estate. Now, after seven decades, the gardens at Bayou Bend remain a living testament to Miss Hogg's life and vision.

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