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| Houston Highlights |
A few words about soils in the region – they can be shallow, poor and challenging. Often referred to as “gumbo,” the soil here usually needs amending for optimal plant growth. Improvements to the soil include organic matter such as compost, peat moss and shredded bark.
Fruit crops that can do well here include peaches, plums, pears, blackberries, figs, strawberries, persimmons, some varieties of apples and a wide variety of citrus.
As for lawns, don't try to grow a bluegrass or fescue lawn. Area lawns are usually planted in either St. Augustine or Bermuda grass, which does very well here. Zoysia and the hybrid bermudas are very beautiful, but demand extra care and are recommended only if you enjoy yard work and don't mind very frequent mowing.
For those who love to plant garden vegetables, this is a great region.Most vegetable crops do well here provided you prepare the soil carefully, plant in full sun and plant at the right time. The latter is especially important for spring crops. Both spring-planted and fall-planted gardens can be highly productive.
Information from Texas A&M
You can order free information from the Texas Agricultural Extension Service concerning all aspects of gardening and pest control in Texas. In Houston, call 281-855-5600.
The Arts in Houston
Support of the arts is important to residents of the region. Since the city’s early days, philanthropy has been part of the culture and that spirit is maintained today. Private as well as public support of the arts in the Houston community continues to solidify the city’s position as an international arts center. All of this is enhanced by the tremendous support of Houstonians and visitors to the many city and regional venues. The Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) reported 9.2 million visits per year for the area’s art and cultural exhibitions. This is more than twice the number of people who attended Houston’s three professional sports teams and almost half the number of total annual visitors to the city.
Representing a perfect win-win situation, the nonprofit arts sector in Houston gives back to the community and is a significant industry. According to the most recent data from the Houston Arts Alliance, Houston’s nonprofit arts sector is a $623.3 million industry and one that supports 14,115 full-time jobs and generates $69.5 million in local and state government revenues. The total number of jobs created by the economic impact of Houston’s nonprofit arts sector, including professional artists, is 29,729.
Here are other positive effects of a vibrant Houston arts community:
The heart of the art scene in Houston is its Museum District, which hoses 17 museums and a 50-acre zoological park. They’re all within walking distance of one another and accessible by METRORail to form one of the largest cultural districts in the country, with more than 500,000 square feet of exhibition space. It's also one of the most vital in the nation, drawing six million visitors annually. Here are the gems in the region’s collection to explore and discover.
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) is the oldest museum in Texas as well as the most prominent. With the opening of the $83 million Audrey Jones Beck Building in March 2000, the MFAH is now the largest museum in the Southwest. Its dramatic expansion has made possible an increasing number of blockbusters, including major exhibitions featuring works from both the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Also part of MFAH is Bayou Bend, the former home of Houston philanthropist Ima Hogg. It houses Houston's early American decorative arts and painting collection and is considered one of the premier collections in the country. The the rare and beautiful objects date from approximately 1620 to 1876 and are installed throughout the 1920s mansion in 28 period room settings.
Another home, Rienzi, opened to the public in 1999. It is the center for European decorative arts at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Comprising a remarkable art collection, a house, and gardens, Rienzi was given to the museum by arts patrons Carroll Sterling Masterson and Harris Masterson III.
Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH), across from the MFAH, is housed in a gleaming metal structure. CAMH now celebrates more than 50 years of exhibiting cutting-edge contemporary art. Exhibitions of famous art world icons who've shown within its walls includehave included Robert Rauschenberg, Frank Gehry and Cindy Sherman.
Fruit crops that can do well here include peaches, plums, pears, blackberries, figs, strawberries, persimmons, some varieties of apples and a wide variety of citrus.
As for lawns, don't try to grow a bluegrass or fescue lawn. Area lawns are usually planted in either St. Augustine or Bermuda grass, which does very well here. Zoysia and the hybrid bermudas are very beautiful, but demand extra care and are recommended only if you enjoy yard work and don't mind very frequent mowing.
For those who love to plant garden vegetables, this is a great region.Most vegetable crops do well here provided you prepare the soil carefully, plant in full sun and plant at the right time. The latter is especially important for spring crops. Both spring-planted and fall-planted gardens can be highly productive.
Information from Texas A&M
You can order free information from the Texas Agricultural Extension Service concerning all aspects of gardening and pest control in Texas. In Houston, call 281-855-5600.
The Arts in Houston
Support of the arts is important to residents of the region. Since the city’s early days, philanthropy has been part of the culture and that spirit is maintained today. Private as well as public support of the arts in the Houston community continues to solidify the city’s position as an international arts center. All of this is enhanced by the tremendous support of Houstonians and visitors to the many city and regional venues. The Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) reported 9.2 million visits per year for the area’s art and cultural exhibitions. This is more than twice the number of people who attended Houston’s three professional sports teams and almost half the number of total annual visitors to the city.
Representing a perfect win-win situation, the nonprofit arts sector in Houston gives back to the community and is a significant industry. According to the most recent data from the Houston Arts Alliance, Houston’s nonprofit arts sector is a $623.3 million industry and one that supports 14,115 full-time jobs and generates $69.5 million in local and state government revenues. The total number of jobs created by the economic impact of Houston’s nonprofit arts sector, including professional artists, is 29,729.
Here are other positive effects of a vibrant Houston arts community:
- Art event attendees spent an average of $33.49 per person in Houston, not including the cost of admission. This is $11 more than the national average.
- Cultural tourists spent an average of $82.10 per person, for a total spending of $132 million a year in addition to the cost of their tickets.
- Houston’s corporate leaders report that workforce recruitment and retention is advanced by the city’s strong cultural sector. The arts are seen as a cornerstone in making Houston an increasingly international and culturally diverse city and in generating restaurant and hotel business.
- More than 34,000 individual volunteers, from board members to docents, contributed approximately 650,000 volunteer hours with a total of donated time equal to 11.2 million.
The heart of the art scene in Houston is its Museum District, which hoses 17 museums and a 50-acre zoological park. They’re all within walking distance of one another and accessible by METRORail to form one of the largest cultural districts in the country, with more than 500,000 square feet of exhibition space. It's also one of the most vital in the nation, drawing six million visitors annually. Here are the gems in the region’s collection to explore and discover.
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) is the oldest museum in Texas as well as the most prominent. With the opening of the $83 million Audrey Jones Beck Building in March 2000, the MFAH is now the largest museum in the Southwest. Its dramatic expansion has made possible an increasing number of blockbusters, including major exhibitions featuring works from both the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Also part of MFAH is Bayou Bend, the former home of Houston philanthropist Ima Hogg. It houses Houston's early American decorative arts and painting collection and is considered one of the premier collections in the country. The the rare and beautiful objects date from approximately 1620 to 1876 and are installed throughout the 1920s mansion in 28 period room settings.
Another home, Rienzi, opened to the public in 1999. It is the center for European decorative arts at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Comprising a remarkable art collection, a house, and gardens, Rienzi was given to the museum by arts patrons Carroll Sterling Masterson and Harris Masterson III.
Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH), across from the MFAH, is housed in a gleaming metal structure. CAMH now celebrates more than 50 years of exhibiting cutting-edge contemporary art. Exhibitions of famous art world icons who've shown within its walls includehave included Robert Rauschenberg, Frank Gehry and Cindy Sherman.
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