Japanese Tea Gardens in Texas: A Symbol Friendship

Would you like to visit a Japanese Tea Garden? Great!

Somehow, when I Googled “Japanese Garden,” I was not expecting the City of Houston to pop up on the first page of the results. 😊 It led me to Yelp.

• GO TO the Yelp website. In the search box, type in “Japanese Tea Garden” and for location type in “Houston, Texas”. You get a list of the Top 10 Japanese Tea Gardens or Japanese Gardens.

FUN FACT:

"The Japanese teahouse was built in Japan and reassembled by craftsmen here on location in Houston. It is a particular type of construction that uses no nails in holding the building together. Signifying mutual friendship, it was a gift from Japan."

~ SOURCE: Japanese Tea Garden in Houston, Texas 

(Note: Quote was from a HUBPages.com article, which has been unpublished.)

Japanese Garden Wall Art

Japanese gardens originated in Japan during the Asuka and Naraperiods, drawing early influence from Chinese landscape design and Buddhist aesthetics. Over centuries, they developed into distinct forms—such as strolling gardens, tea gardens, and dry rock gardens—each emphasizing harmony, symbolism, and a deep appreciation for natural scenery. These spaces were designed not merely for beauty but for contemplation, ritual, and the expression of cultural ideals.

Houston’s Japanese Garden in Hermann Park reflects this long tradition and the city’s ties with Japan. Although a Japanese garden was proposed in 1930, the idea did not materialize until 1988, when Japanese Consul General Yasuo Hori began discussions with Houston’s mayor and local Japanese organizations. Landscape architect Ken Nakajima was commissioned to design the garden, which opened in 1992. The project symbolized friendship between Japan and Houston and blended traditional Japanese design with Texas-adapted plantings.

REFERENCES:

Hermann Park Conservancy. Japanese Garden – Hermann Park Conservancy. Hermann Park Conservancy, n.d. Hermann Park Conservancy

“Japanese Garden (Houston).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Wikipedia

The Cultural Landscape Foundation. “Hermann Park Japanese Garden.” TCLF, n.d. TCLF

Japan-America Society of Houston. “Share Your Voice: The Future of the Japanese Garden in Hermann Park.” Japan-America Society of Houston, 24 Feb. 2026. Japan-America Society of Houston

KHOU 11. “Japanese Garden in Hermann Park Celebrates 30th Anniversary.” KHOU.com, 6 May 2022. KHOU.com

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🌿 Most Common Plants & Flowers in Japanese Gardens

Japanese gardens rely on plants that evoke tranquility, seasonality, and natural harmony. Many are chosen for their shape, symbolism, or subtle beauty rather than bright color.

🌸 Key Plants & Flowers

• Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) — prized for delicate leaves and dramatic fall color. 
• Bamboo (various species, including Buddha Belly Bamboo) — symbolizes strength and flexibility; often used as screens or accents. 
• Japanese Boxwood (Buxus microphylla) — evergreen shrub used for structure and low hedging. 
• Cherry Blossoms (Sakura) — iconic spring bloom representing impermanence and beauty. 
• Mosses — essential for creating a soft, aged, serene atmosphere; used as groundcover.
• Ginkgo Trees — valued for fan‑shaped leaves and golden autumn color. 
• Azaleas & Rhododendrons — provide seasonal color and are often shaped into rounded forms.
• Pines (Matsu) — symbolize longevity; often pruned into sculptural forms. 

These plants work together to create the layered, contemplative feeling that defines Japanese garden design.

REFERENCES:

Bulla, Adriano. “12 Traditional Japanese Plants For Your Backyard Zen Garden.” Gardening Chores, 26 Jan. 2021, https://www.gardeningchores.com/japanese-garden-plants/.

Chandler, Glen. “18 Japanese Garden Plants You’ll Want To Grow Right Now.” Plant America, 27 Jul. 2025, https://plantamerica.com/japanese-garden-plants/.

Janet Loughrey, Garden Writer & Photographer. “20 Japanese Garden Plants: Symbolic Perennials, Trees & Shrubs.” Garden Design Magazine, 17 Jun. 2025, https://www.gardendesign.com/plants/japanese-garden.html.

Haverford, Selina. “26 Japanese Garden Plants.” My Garden Inspo, 28 Jul. 2025, https://mygardeninspo.com/japanese-garden-plants/.  

Floral Diversity: Transplant Flowers to Cure Homesickness

Florida was discovered by an explorer named Ponce de Leon. He named the state “Florida,” which is the Spanish word for “flowers”, because, upon his arrival in this new land, he saw nothing but gorgeous flowers everywhere. I imagine one of the flowers must have been the hibiscus, a flower that grew in the front yard of my childhood home. In fact, as a kid, it seemed like this flower was everywhere!  

We had hibiscus that grew in the front yard of my childhood home. Many hardy hibiscus are native to Florida, but for obvious reasons, the orange blossom was chosen as the state flower. But that's OK because ... the hibiscus is the state flower of Hawaii. There are seven species of hibiscus native to this state. Also known as pua aloalo in Hawaiian, this flower represents royalty and communicates power and respect.

Image credit: glitter-graphics.com

When I moved from Florida to Texas, shortly after my arrival, I was in a store shopping for items for my new home. I overheard a lady talking to another lady. She said she had just returned to her home in Texas. She had been vacationing in Florida and she was so excited because she had found this wonderful flower! She said she just had to bring this gorgeous flower back home to Texas and plant it her garden.  Being from Florida, my curiosity was peaked. I wondered what Florida flower had impressed her so much. Turns out that it was the hibiscus.  Not surprised.

Links of Interest:

• Hibiscus Transplant Info - When And How To Transplant A Hibiscus
• Hibiscus Dying or Struggling? 7 Ways to Revive Your Plant
• Hibiscus Wilting After Transplant: What to Do - GFL Outdoors

The medicinal benefits of hibiscus tea are numerous; it can reduce the risk of cancer, help with weight loss and more.  However ... 

• CAUTION!  According to Medical News Today, hibiscus can interact with certain medications. For example, people who take chloroquine, a medication used to treat malaria, should not consume hibiscus because it may decrease how well the medicine works in the body.

I’ll never take the hibiscus flower from my childhood for granted ever again. In fact, if you ever relocate and feel a little homesick, try transplanting a flower that reminds you of the home you left behind.

If you have relocated to a new home, what are flowers that remind you of your childhood home?

♦

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Floral Diversity: Let's Learn About the Hyacinth Flower

Two topics that a person can always seem to write about are food diversity and floral diversity. I decided to explore floral diversity and share the results.

The first flower that comes to mind that begins with the letter “h” is the Hibiscus flower because I grew up in Miami, Florida and almost everybody had these flowers in their yard.  But I have written more than enough about this lovely bloom from my childhood and published the writing at various social blogging and online writing communities. So I won't write another article about the hibiscus.

Instead I am going to discuss the Hyacinth.

Hyacinth
~ The fact that this is one of my favorite flowers has nothing to do with it being a flower. I love British comedy TV shows. There is one show called “Keeping Up Appearances” and the name of the main character is Hyacinth. The lady who plays the part is Patricia Routledge or should I say, Dame Katherine Patricia Routledge, DBE. Evidently, she is a well-known comedic entertainer in the UK. I only know her from this television series and she is flipping hilarious! Because of her, the flower named hyacinth was added to my list of favorite flowers.

According to the Britannica Encyclopedia, this flower is native primarily to the Mediterranean region and tropical Africa. According to an article published via Old House Gardens, the hyacinth dates back to ancient antiquity and has made its way through gardens in ancient Greece and Rome, and into the Ottoman Empire and eventually into Western Europe. Here is an interesting fact gleaned from that article:

“There is convincing evidence that the hyacinth was cultivated by the Turks for both its fragrance and for ceremonial usage. On the death of Sultan Moerad III in 1595 his mourning son had no fewer than half a million hyacinths planted.”

I was required to learn the history of Western Europe in Catholic high school. But not much was ever taught about the Ottomans other than the fact they existed.

One must be careful because the hyacinth bulbs are poisonous. They contain oxalic acid and so you should handle them wearing protective gloves. The uncooked seeds are poisonous, however, the beans of these plants can be used in cooking. They can be boiled or roasted and you can find many Indian food recipes that use hyacinth beans. (Recipes.) As you can see by the featured image they are a marvelous ornamental flower. But they also have proven medicinal value. In addition to being used for beauty ~ skincare and hair care ~ it has been used to treat cholera, snake bites, and even STDs (sexually transmitted diseases). In traditional Chinese medicine, the beans are used to keep the spleen healthy.

There is a sad story in Greek mythology about a young man named Hyakinthos or Hyacinthus. That's how the flower got its name. As for its symbolism, it has come to “represent prayers, thoughtfulness, messages of hope and well-being”.

Interesting flower huh?


References:

Doerflinger, Frederick. “The Hyacinth Story.” Hyacinth History, Old House Gardens, 1989, oldhousegardens.com/HyacinthHistory. "from Adsurgens, the journal of Wycliffe Hall Botanical Gardens, 1989"

Gayatri. “11 Amazing Benefits Of Hyacinth Herb For Skin, Hair And Health.” STYLECRAZE, IncNut Digital, 6 June 2019, stylecraze.com/articles/benefits-of-hyacinth-herb-for-skin-hair-and-health/.

Original source