a world of gardens

Houston's future 'global garden' blossoms as thriving urban oasis

As local green thumbs know, Houston’s climate is a plant lover’s dream. Spring here sees an explosion of color, making spots such as McGovern Centennial Gardens and the Houston Arboretum huge draws.

With that in mind, the Houston Botanic Garden has unveiled plans for the new Global Collection Garden. The new, three-acre installation will be a sort of theme park or museum of flora, as it will showcase plants from around the world. Like Houston itself, it will be a study in global diversity, boasting “weird and wonderful” views, according to a statement.

Construction on the new garden, spearheaded by a design team that includes West 8 and Clark Condon, is set to begin summer 2019 and is projected to open in 2020. Visitors can stroll through a setting that incorporates three climatic zones: arid, subtropical, and tropical.

The garden features themed zones, meant to highlight certain species, pay homage to local botanists, and highlight experimental plantings — making it an outdoor, visitable science lab.

Here are some highlights of the dozen park zones, which offer hands-on experiences, spots to reflect, and romantic settings.

Corner of Curiosity
The area boasts subtropical plant forms, such as the Voodoo Lily and the eye-catching False Red Yucca. The space is meant to inspire curiosity about plants and biodiversity and conversation among guests.

Upland Forest
The mini forest will have four features: the Pollinator Square, Children’s Curiosity Cabinet, Journey of the Butterfly, and a seasonal display field. The Pollinator Square and Journey of the Butterfly will feature pollinator species, with striking color to attract a plethora of butterflies and birds, including migrating monarch butterflies.

The Children’s Curiosity Cabinet will be an outdoor room with a hands-on exhibit for guests to see, touch, and feel interesting and unique natural objects. In the seasonal display field, rotating displays will feature seasonal plantings that will inspire home gardeners to explore and add new plants and growing techniques to their gardens.

The Heart
This section will feature vibrant and exotic flowers, making for a lush, tropical experience. Seating will line the crescent path, also known as the Lovers’ Bench, providing cozy spots to connect with surrounding plants and experience “breathtaking” views.

The Sanctuary
This secluded garden will surround visitors with fascinating plants from the genus Dyckia, the unusual relative of the pineapple plant. Mazes of stepping stones and rock terraces will elevate succulents and bromeliads in The Sanctuary, and a layer of hanging foliage will be added to the existing mature trees to create an intimate setting.

The lush and tropical garden.

Global Collection Garden Houston Botanic Garden

Photo courtesy of Houston Botanic Garden

The lush and tropical garden.

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Unhappy holidays

Porch pirates swipe nearly $2B in packages from Texas homes this year

Porch Pirate Person in Glasses Steals Packages

Getty Images

The Grinch isn't the only one stealing Christmas these days.

’Tis the season for porch pirates. If past trends are an indicator, the Grinch will swipe close to $2 billion worth of packages delivered to Texas households this year, with many of those thefts happening ahead of the holiday season.

An analysis of FBI and survey data by ecommerce marketing company Omnisend shows porch pirates stole more than $1.8 billion worth of packages from Texans’ porches last year. Porch pirates hit nearly one-third of the state’s households in 2024, according to the analysis.

Omnisend’s analysis reveals these statistics about porch piracy in Texas:

30.1 million residential package thefts in 2024.
An average household loss of $169 per year.
An annual average of 2.9 package thefts per household.

“Most stolen items are cheap on their own, but add them up, and retailers and consumers are facing an enormous bill,” says Omnisend.

Another data analysis, this one from The Action Network sports betting platform, unwraps different figures regarding porch piracy in Texas.

The platform’s 2025 Porch Pirate Index ranks Texas as the state with the highest volume of residential thefts, based on 2023-24 FBI data.

Researchers at The Action Network uncovered 26,293 reports of personal property thefts at Texas residences during that period. The network’s survey data indicates 5 percent of Texas residents had a package stolen in the three months before the pre-holiday survey.

The Porch Pirate Index calculates a 25.8 percent risk of a Texas household being victimized by porch pirates, putting it in the No. 5 spot among states with the highest risk of porch piracy.

The Action Network included online-search volume for terms like “package stolen” and “porch pirates.” Sustained spikes in these searches suggest that “people are actively looking for guidance after something has happened. Search trends serve as an early warning system, revealing emerging-risk areas well before annual crime statistics are released,” the network says.

Tips to avoid being a victim
So, how do you prevent porch pirates from snatching packages that end up on your porch? Omnisend, The Action Network and Amazon offer these eight tips:

Closely monitor deliveries and quickly retrieve packages.
Schedule deliveries for times when you’ll be home.
Use delivery lockers or in-store pickup when possible.
Ask delivery services to hide packages in out-of-sight spots outside your home.
Install a visible doorbell camera or security camera.
Coordinate deliveries with neighbors or building managers if you’ll be away from your home when packages are supposed to arrive.
Request that delivery services hold your packages if you can’t be home when they’re scheduled to come.
Illuminate the path to your doorstep and keep porch lights on.

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