Wednesday, October 28, 2026
11:30am – 1:00pm
The Junior League of Houston
1811 Briar Oaks Ln, Houston, TX 77027
Table Sponsorships
$25,000 QUERCUS TARDIFOLIA TABLE FOR TEN / tickets for two for cocktails with Andrew Hipp
$15,000 CLETHRA PRINGLEI TABLE FOR TEN/ tickets for two for cocktails with Andrew Hipp
$10,000 QUERCUS INSIGNIS TABLE FOR TEN/ tickets for two for cocktails with Andrew Hipp
$5,000 MAHONIA CHOCHOCO TABLE FOR TEN/ tickets for two for cocktails with Andrew Hipp
$3,500 ZEPHYRANTHES DRUMMONDII TABLE FOR TEN
Individual Tickets
$1,250 BRAHEA MOOREI INDIVIDUAL VIP TICKET
$350 AGAVE OVATIFOLIA INDIVIDUAL TICKET
For information on corporate sponsorships, please email info@jfgarden.org.
You may sponsor, purchase tickets, or make a donation by selecting the
“SUPPORT TAKING ROOT” button below.
The John Fairey Garden Conservation Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 76-0567365). All sponsorships and ticket purchases support the Garden’s conservation, horticulture, and education programs and are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Thank you again for all you do to ensure we succeed in our mission to preserve, share, and advance the horticultural and artistic legacy of John Fairey.

At this year’s luncheon we are delighted to honor Houston philanthropist Cece Fowler, a dear friend of the Garden. Cece has lived in Houston for almost 50 years and has served on the boards of many non-profit organizations, including the John Fairey Garden when it was then known as the Peckerwood Garden. Though she is now retired, much of her career was focused on non-profit governance and fundraising. Currently she spends her time serving organizations in Houston, Charleston and Nantucket, MA.Cece holds a BA from the University of Southern California and an MFA in Creative Writing and Literature from Bennington College.She and her husband, Mack have two married children and three lovely grandchildren. Cece has continued to provide multi-faceted stewardship to the Garden through meaningful support, counsel, and advocacy, all shared with uncommon generosity and grace.

We are also thrilled to have as our guest speaker Dr. Andrew Hipp, author and Senior Scientist in Plant Systematics at the Morton Arboretum in Chicago. Dr. Hipp is the author of Oak Origins: From Acorns to Species and the Tree of Life. He has received awards for his teaching and research from the U.S. Fulbright Program, National Science Teachers Association, and International Oak Society. In addition to Oak Origins, Hipp has written field guides to spring wildflowers and sedges; natural history and popular science articles in Arnoldia, Places Journal, Scientific American, The Threepenny Review, and other publications; sixteen children’s books on a variety of natural history topics; and more than 150 academic articles and book chapters. David George Haskell wrote about Hipp’s book, Oak Origins, “In this brilliant exploration, oaks emerge as jazz musicians, continually improvising, collaborating, and finding new living music over millions of years. We think of oaks as hard and unyielding, but Hipp’s compelling writing reveals them as supple and inventive.”
Louise Bland & Marjorie Cain
Nancy Abendshein
Mary & Marcel Barone
Adele & Lan Bentsen
Kelli Blanton
Susan & Bob Boykin
Fredricka Brecht
Marianna Brewster
Anne Brollier
Mimi Brown
Aubrey Carter
Georgia Carter
Jeanie Carter
Maudie Carter
Kelty Crain
Susie & Sanford Criner
Kit Detering
Jenny Elkins
Sidney Fay
Heather & Jeff Firestone
Cindy & David Fitch
Cece & Mac Fowler
Stephanie Fox
Debby Francis
Mary Gregory
Jill & Dunham Jewett
Rebekah Johnson
George Johnston
Linda & George Kelly
Madeliene Kelly
Page Kempner
Sissy & Denny Kempner
Mimi Kerr
David & Mary Klein
Chris Knapp
Carmen & John Knapp
Virginia & Lee Lahourcade
Ann Lents
Catherine & Bruce McDonald
Mary Hale Mclean
Laura McWilliams
Betty Moody
Gary Moss
Betty & Steve Newton
Genevieve & Chris O’Sullivan
Cabrina Owsley
Carl Palazzolo
Betty Palmquist
Allison & Dan Parsley
Julie Peak & David Hightower
Mary Sommers Pyne
Shawn Stephens
Sandra Tirey & Jan R. van Lohuizen
Emily Todd
Stephanie Tsuru
Phoebe & Bobby Tudor
Janna Webber
Carroll Wessels
Susan Young
Mark McKinnon – President
Tom McCasland – Vice President
Antonio Adezio – Treasurer
Jane Curtis – Secretary
Mary Barone
Adele Bentsen
Satara Henry
Louise Jamail
Sheryl Kolasinski
Sam Lasseter
Steven Matthews
Isaac Stein
Ron Stricklin
Sandra Tirey
Maggie Tsang
Wally Wilkins
Susan Young
John Gaston Fairey (1930-2020)
Randy Twaddle – Executive Director & Artist in Residence
Wally Wilkins – Director of Horticulture & Plant Collections
Aviana Kalinec – Office Manager
Ashlyn Mashbrun – Nursery and Collections Manager
Adolfo Silva – Head Gardener
Ricardo Bautista – Gardener
Agustin Casas – Gardener
Luke Kelley – Gardener
Riley Mason – Gardener
