A $1 million gift from the Mays Family Foundation is paving the way for a new garden at Hemisfair’s western edge. It will be situated straddling the former wide walkway that ran from South Alamo Street to the Tower of the Americas. That walkway has now been turned into Nueva Street, dividing Yanaguana Garden from the eventual Civic Park to the north.
Ann Krause runs the Hemisfair Conservancy and notes that there are quite a few homes along Nueva that were old already when 1968’s Hemisfair opened.
“Along that street are historic homes. And the garden that will be named after Peggy Mays is going to be planted on both sides of East Nueva Street. So that when one enters Hemisfair via East Nueva, they will encounter an extraordinary garden,” she said.
That half-acre plus sized garden will draw design inspiration from a neighborhood not so far from Hemisfair.
“The way it was originally conceptualized is that it was going to be reminiscent of the King William Gardens that are found to the southwest of the Hemisfair area. We’d like to evoke kind of that feeling,” said Krause.
“So there it will be heavily planted, perhaps some small trails and rest areas so people can sit and enjoy watching the pollinators visit, while having some shade and some lighting at night.”
Krause said the plantings at nearby Yanaguana Gardens have drawn butterflies and are quite popular with visitors. They hope to break ground on the Peggy Mays Garden next fall and be planting this time next year.
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