Hike through Mercer Botanical Gardens and Arboretum

This is a terrific 300 acre park located within easy and quick reach of The Woodlands Texas. It is situated along the southern bank of Cypress Creek in Precinct 4 of Harris County. The Mercers first planted their 13.8 acre garden in the late 1940's. It was expanded in size by three purchases in the 1980's and 1990's and developed by Precinct 4. Click here for additional history. It took me less than 30 minutes to get there, going south on I-45 to Louetta, turning left on to Louetta, then right on Aldine Westfield Rd and traveling a few minutes to Cypress Creek bridge.  After passing over the bridge you can turn left into the botanical gardens for parking or to the right for the picnic, playground and arboretum parking areas. Just follow the signs. There are plenty of trails on both sides of the road for hiking.  Map.

My hike was very slow since I decided to do some photography in the gardens first. My first task was to photograph butterflies, then some flowers and finally some of the gardens. It was a gorgeous day with a little sun and a lot of moisture from the rain the night before as you will notice on many of the photographs. I will provide many additional photographs in a link below but for now will lead you on a short tour of the facility and explain what I saw.

On passing through the entrance, immediately to the right is the Mercer Center.  To your left will be the Water Lilies pond and the main entrance garden. It is here you will sign the visitor's book and if appropriate, the professional photographer's book. Reference books are available to purchase if you need a field guide; bottled drinks can be also purchased, and a map of the premises is provided free (you may need one). Click here for their online brochure.  It is a nice place to stop for a rest - air conditioning!  In the immediate area, you will be able to observe water  plants and various other plants where butterflies, bees and birds hang out.

Briskly walk the paths in the area and you will observe all sorts of creatures and plants. Most people stop along the way and take a close look. At this time of the year, the water lilies are in full bloom in the pond near the entrance to the Central Gardens. The Central Gardens is the large area in front of the center and gets lots of sunlight. It is kept planted with the varieties of the season, season by season.

I found bumble bees very interesting in the striking colors of the various flowers. With the great variety of blooming flowers, one also sees a variety of bees. And they are busy!!

Then the butterflies -  Sulfurs, Swallowtails, Skippers and more are easily viewed  among the assorted species of plants.  A Ruby Throated Hummingbird expressed an interest in what I was doing as he hovered less than three feet from my eyes in one garden on one occasion.

Here is a familiar butterfly to everyone - the   Monarch. It is easy to get the Monarch confused with a few others in the Arboretum, but at this time of the year, this is the dominant species among about three similar butterflies. A checklist of butterflies normally seen at Mercer is provided by Mercer Arboretum. Click here. Take the list and a butterfly field guide with you (or purchase one there) and you will be able identify many species.

The Sulfur Butterfly family is a special favorite of mine. If you have ever handled one of these, their outer covering comes off in your hands and looks like yellow sulfur, thus the name.

Or you might prefer to search out the Pipevine Swallowtail.

Or the male Pipevine Swallowtail may be your choice. You can feast your eyes on these beautiful creatures on beautiful plants until your eyes become tired of brilliance. For me, after a few more varieties, I was ready for the trail again. 

The botanical gardens are great, so as I trekked out towards the east to find the Bamboo Gardens and its pond, stopping when finding  some unusual flowers like this one, moist from the earlier rains and looking like wet paper.

And this plant. The "flower" of the various Ginger plant species has two types of blooms.

There is a Volunteer Center for those who  help with various projects and maintenance of the grounds. Click here for more information.

As I continue to hike to the right side of the gardens, following the brick path, I come to a place where I can veer off onto a gravel road. This will lead me to the Bamboo Gardens. I pass by the Salvia  and the Endangered Species Gardens, and through the Perennial and Rock Gardens - lots of butterflies and hummingbirds.

Finally we arrive at the Bamboo Gardens. This is truly a beautiful place with the Lily Pond, which was renovated after the storm, next to it. The Botanical Gardens is still recovering from the storm Ike, but hopefully the Japanese Tea room will be reconstructed soon to complete the renovation.   

Now we proceed into the primitive loop. There are several routes to enjoy. On this day, there is only one person on the path, jogging. I see many animal tracks in the wet earth - deer and raccoon, as well as a White Tailed Rabbit.  A weary person like myself can sit down on one of the many benches for a short breather all along these trails and walkways.

There are benches in several small gardens where one can sit and meditate or just read.

I pass by the pond again on the way back towards the center and on through the Lily Garden.  This takes me through the Prehistoric Garden, passing by a bog and through the Shade Bog Garden and Boardwalk (photo right).

Now we leave the botanical gardens and go to the arboretum, picnic grounds and nature trails across the street on the west side of the main road. This area also follows Cypress Creek but towards the west. Here I realize how big this place really is! There is no way to cover it all in one day - not for me on this day. I am carrying a backpack and heavy camera with the temperature about 92 degrees.

I park in the arboretum parking lot and start the trek along the creek. The path takes me through the Jake Roberts Maple Collection. Since I love trees, this area strikes me as especially great! Maple trees lined both sides of the pathway!

Now we head into the trail loops to see a variety of bogs, a swamp and various natural forest areas. An impressive dried up swamp of Cypress trees are in the Bald Cypress Pond (right).

A large pavilion can be rented for Bar-B-Ques.This is located of course in the picnic area, near the children playground equipment. There is parking here also.

There are picnic tables close to the playground equipment with nearby grills. This family park is well equipped and well kept.

Additional Photos click here - I recommend viewing them as a slide show using the full screen option

Mercer Gardens website

Festering problem with Invasive trees and vines

For decades, a creep of invasive plants has been drifting north from the coastal prairies. I have observed this occurring my entire lifetime. When I was young, there were not many invasive trees, notably the Chinese Tallow. Now, there are forests in marsh areas, once inhabited by marsh creatures. The coastal marshes are however not in scope of this article. They are only examples of what can and will happen when invasive plants go unchecked. The Woodlands parks and paths have these trees, some in abundance. I am blessed by living next to one such park which demonstrates what can happen. We have a beautiful invasive tree population in this park. People like to see them in the Fall. They produce a lot of color. As the trees are allowed to grow unabated, birds spread their millions of seeds throughout The Woodlands. New trees are also propagated through their long root systems. An example of this propagation is shown in the leading photograph of this article. The little trees are on the edge of the pond and on this peninsula where residents sometimes picnic and fish. The tree is also very difficult to kill, and it propagates even when stressed. Some residents see this tree as a friend and actually take measures to protect and encourage its growth. If unchecked, in five years, the trees will be "small adults", about 8-10 feet tall. In 10 years, they will be full sized, reproducing prolifically. I have lived here more than 10 years now and watched as the population of this tree has grown. If we let it, it will eventually displace our forest, and we will be just like the prairie.

We do have an irradiation program, but it was designed for very visible spots, like entries into neighborhoods. The program replaces those trees removed with native trees. Perhaps we should prioritize this program and place more funds on it to get the job done. The other issue being brought forward here is the vine growth. We have a program to mitigate this issue as well. Mitigating the destruction of our trees by vines that grow well in the sunlight has been difficult. We have a contractor working on the program. It appears that the program is simply under funded, or just lacking sufficient resources to get the job done.

In short there are certain critical issues that must be resolved. Status quo in government transition may not be acceptable. We need our leaders to question these programs and make sure we have sufficient budget and emphasis to protect the natural environment which serves to make out community an exceptional place to live - in the forest.

Other resources ¹Number 1 Enemy Chinese Tallow

Gardening on community property

Do you know that The Woodlands Texas has a resident's gardening location and possibly will have a second one soon? Residents have gardened for years here. They wait in line for someone to relinquish a plot in the "garden" at the Bear Branch Sportsfields. The gardening plots are sectioned off and marked clearly to enable residents to have a vegetable or flower garden out in the sun. In the older parts of The Woodlands, some homes have practically no sun in their yards. Even now in August, some of the gardeners are working their little gardens. Some have trellises for vines; others have stakes, coverings and other tools to help them deal with the heat. Water delivered by hose is available close to all the plots. Sign-up is with the association, so you can access their pages there to see what the current process is to get a plot.

Bear Branch Sportsfields

Here in The Woodlands Texas, we have an excellent, beautiful and popular sports complex nestled in the forest. It is across the road from Bear Branch Park, next to Bear Branch Creek, a thin reserve of forest which serves as a wildlife sanctuary. This park is used primarily for soccer matches. These tables are handy for many people who use the park for soccer or play (example: Frisbee throwing). Golf is prohibited in this complex. There are seven adult size soccer fields. During soccer season, one will find many smaller fields carved out of the large ones to accommodate the needs of sports clubs for children.

A concession stand with restrooms is new. The grass on the fields is lush and exceptional. Chick-Fil-A manages the concession stand which opens at 8am on weekend mornings. Unfortunately for the writer, on this particular morning, they did not serve coffee.

Park rules are clearly explained on this sign near the parking lots.
There is plenty if parking, some 236 spaces. Getting there: From I45 heading north, take exit 76 to Research Forest Drive. Follow this road until you pass the light at Shadowbend (Montgomery College is located on the right) and proceed over the bridge at Bear Branch Creek. Click here for a Google map locating the complex.

Bear Branch Park, The Woodlands Texas

This large park is easily accessible from Research Forest Drive. Located adjacent to Bear Branch Creek, it features a rink for roller hockey, is wheel and dog friendly and has natural trails to the creek. This park also has a combined soccer/baseball field and a volleyball court. Entrance to the dog park. On entering the park from Research Forest Dr, turn right into the parking lot and the dog park will be to your right. This is its entrance. There are two fenced areas, the right for small dogs and the left for large dogs. The large dog area. Very spacious. Its beautiful swimming pool. Small childrens playgound. Large pavilion is ideal to rent for group events. Its skateboard facilities include two separate boarding rinks. Five tennis courts It's hockey rink provides an unique amenity for all ages. One can walk on the pathway system over Bear Branch Creek or maybe explore some natural paths in the park. The Longleaf Pine is propigating along the creek bed. Even in dry season, Bear Branch Creek normally has water flowing down it.

How to get there
It is located just west of the bridge over Bear Branch Creek, on Research Forest. The entrance is on the north side of Research Forest, between Shadowbend and The Woodlands High School, across the street from the Bear Branch sports complex.
Google Map

Harpers Landing Park

There are some great trees and lots of dense forest in this park. I liked the swimming pool there and apparently there are many people who share that sentiment with me. It was busy for a Friday at noon. A visitor can enjoy the picnic benches. I saw at least two places where two families could share an area (two tables in close proximity). There is a toddlers park within this park, on the side opposite the pool. The park is bound by four streets and has walking paths on three sides. Two parking lots provide plenty of parking space. A soccer/baseball field is available, as well as tennis courts. This is a wheel friendly park. To see details in these photographs, make sure you click on the photographs themselves because every one is substantially larger than what you see here.

To get there, go east on highway 242 from I45. Take a left at the first street after Trade Center Parkway, Donwick. Go to Trade Center Parkway and take a left. The park will be obvious on your right at Harper's Landing Drive, where you will want to turn right in order to arrive at the parking lots.

Google Map

We have retention ponds in our Woodlands Parks

Ponds are one of our greatest assets here in The Woodlands. They have such diversity in their waters and shores. Making them better is a goal of the superintendent of the parks system. I have taken this for granted lately. Sometimes it is good to reflect some and consider the purpose of an amenity. I once called one pond here a "retention pond" to someone I know, just out of normal conversation. I had a counter response "That is not a retention pond, it is a detention pond." I have to admit, that threw me a curve ball. For years, subdivisions have been building "retention" ponds to meet state requirements for water runoff management. That is the only term I ever heard for these ponds. So I researched this topic, not wanting to use the wrong word for one of these ponds, even in casual conservation. The difference is fairly subtle. Ours are all retention ponds, not detention ponds. But there are detention ponds in some Texas locations. A detention pond can be wet or dry, but its function is strictly to slow down the runoff of water. Because our ponds have vegetation and hold water permanently, ours are considered retention ponds, as they filter and break down the pollutants in the water by natural biological processes, and hold water as a habitat for living organisms. Retention ponds are designed to hold water, slow down water runoff and be a natural habitat for plants and other living organisms. Ours do serve both purposes - retention and detention but technically have the attributes of a "retention" pond. ¹ Each day we can appreciate more about this place and its master plan.

References
¹Retention vs Detention