No More Topiaries?

Beloved River Oaks garden landmark forced to close for private school expansion

The River Oaks Plant House, a fixture at the corner of Westheimer and Buffalo Speedway for more than 30 years, is being forced to close to make way for the expansion of St. John's School.

On Thursday night, St. John's alumni received an email from headmaster Mark Desjardins detailing the closing of the beloved plant house, which is known for its larger-than-life custom topiaries in the shape of animals on Buffalo Speedway, along with garden fountains, statues and plants. Desjardins said the property, which the school owns, is needed for carpool and parking space during the construction of the new Campus Center on the north side of the campus.

Desjardins said the property, which the school owns, is needed for carpool and parking space during the construction of the new Campus Center.

"We want to assure our community that the School has made great efforts to conduct itself with integrity as a good neighbor and has met or exceeded its legal obligations to the River Oaks Plant House," Desjardins wrote.

The email detailed the school's recent developments with the nursery, noting that although the school was only required to give a 30-day notice of termination, officials delivered a "generous" 90-day notice to the owners. The lease will be terminated on Dec. 31.

Desjardins noted that as a tax-exempt organization, St. John’s would incure a "significant tax liability" if the nursery remained in business on any part of the 2014 calendar year. "As fiduciaries and stewards of the School’s resources, the Board is opposed to using school resources earmarked for our faculty, students, and programs to underwrite the operating costs of the River Oaks Plant House," said Desjardins.

A phone call to the plant house's owners to ask about future plans and the fate of the topiaries was not immediately returned.

St. John's acquisition of the property marks the second time this year that a nearby beloved establishment is being forced to close due to the school's expansion.

In January it was announced that the private school had purchased the 13-acre property where Blanco's has existed for 30 years, forcing the legendary country-western bar to close for good, effective on Nov. 30. The West Alabama property, purchased from Kitch and Marcy Taub, cost $91 million according to the school's website detailing their planned expansion.

The River Oaks Plant House is losing its lease, effective Dec. 31.

River Oaks Plant House exterior front day

River Oaks Plant House Facebook

The River Oaks Plant House is losing its lease, effective Dec. 31.

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rent affordability news

Houstonians need to make nearly $68,000 to afford rent in 2025

Photo courtesy of Dolce Midtown Apartments

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A new rental report from Zillow has revealed Houston renters need to make about 23 percent more money than they did five years ago in order to afford rent in 2025.

Zillow analysts examined the income needed to afford rent in 50 major U.S. metros, and determined rent prices in each city as of April 2025.

The average Houston renter needs to make $67,731 a year to afford living in the city, the report found. To afford rent for a single-family home, the income needed increases even further to $85,017.

Despite Houston's rising rent cost of living, it's still more affordable than many other cities. Nationally, the average income needed for someone to comfortably afford rent comes out to nearly $81,000. The study says that figure has increased nearly 35 percent since 2020.

"Housing costs have surged since pre-pandemic, with rents growing quite a bit faster than wages," said senior Zillow economist Orphe Divounguy. "This often leaves little room for other expenses, making it particularly difficult for those hoping to save for a down payment on a future home. High upfront costs are often overlooked, which can keep renters in their current homes."

Rent prices in Houston averaged $1,693 last month, which is less costly than the national average rent price of $2,024. Additionally, Houstonians are spending about 24 percent of their income on rent, while the typical American spends almost 30 percent of their income on rent.

Renters are also saving hundreds of dollars in comparison to those that own their homes, as a recent SmartAsset study discovered the median monthly housing costs for a Houston homeowner came out to $2,219.

At least we're not living on the East or West Coast, where eight U.S. metros require six-figure incomes to afford rent. Residents in San Jose, California need to make $136,532 a year to afford rent, the highest out of all 50 U.S. cities. Rent prices in San Jose came out to $3,413 in April.

Here's how much money renters need to afford living in other Texas metros, according to Zillow:

Dallas – $71,413
Austin – $68,840
San Antonio – $58,590

zillow housing report rent prices affordability houston