HUMBLE
Mercer Arboretum, 22306 Aldine Westfield (281-443-8731). A staffer says the arboretum’s three-year-old plantings of dozens of old roses have generated a lot of interest because they’re “ten feet tall and bulletproof.” But not deerproof, which is why you’ll find the roses protected behind fences. Open daily 8 to 5 (to 7 during daylight savings). Free.
INDEPENDENCE
Antique Rose Emporium, 10,000 Texas Highway 50 (409-836-5548). The commercial nature of the gardens here doesn’t detract one iota from their stunning display. The gardens are the site of the annual Festival of Roses each fall. Open Monday through Saturday 9 to 6, Sunday 11 to 5:30. Free.
SAN ANTONIO
Antique Rose Emporium, 7561 E. Evans Road (210-651-4565). Open Monday through Saturday 9 to 6, Sunday 11 to 5:30. Free.
Schultze House in Hemisfair Plaza, off Durango, behind the federal courthouse (210-229-9161). Volunteers with the Texas Agricultural Extension Office’s Master Gardener Program began landscaping the grounds around the Schultze House in 1993, devoting a corner to old-fashioned plants and garden designs in keeping with the house’s 1893 German origins. Open daily. Free.
VICTORIA
Victoria Botanical Gardens, 3003 N. Vine (512-575-8300). On this ten-acre tract, more than 150 Old Garden Roses representing some fifteen varieties surround a restored 1870 farmhouse listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Open daily. Free.
