Allee

When the Kingwood estate was under construction in 1926, a vista leading north from the mansion was cut through the woods. Today we call this much elaborated vista, the Allee; it has become one of our most revered garden features.

Courtyard Complex

The Greenhouse and a group of buildings surrounding the brick courtyard near Linden Road were originally built as the service area for Mr. King’s Kingwood Estate. After opening to the public, they were adapted to host Kingwood Center Gardens’ public activities. Today, with many recent improvements, the buildings are known as the Display Greenhouse, Carriage House and Roost Hall. They all share the bricked and shaded courtyard, a favorite venue for indoor/outdoor events.

Display Greenhouse

At Kingwood we use our greenhouses for both production and display, and now we have a new greenhouse just for sales in the Garden Gateway. Our other main glasshouse is made up of individual houses committed to tropicals, succulents, bromeliads and seasonal arrangements. Other houses are used for production.

Duck Pond

The old duck pond at the north end of the Terrace Garden has been an icon at Kingwood Center Gardens since we opened in 1953. The duck pond is thought to have been part of the original estate when Mr. King and his first wife, Edith, purchased the property in 1912.

Garden Gateway

The new visitor center, the Garden Gateway, provides an accessible, welcoming location for all guests that serves as an experiential gateway to the Gardens. It also functions as a gallery for exhibits to highlight the legacy of Charles Kelley King, Kingwood, and other exhibits.

Kingwood Hall

Kingwood Hall was the home built for Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kelley King. Once Kingwood Hall was completed, the original home on the property was divided into three sections and moved across the street to Glenbeck Lane.

Mr. King’s Formal Gardens

These gardens were designed at the same time as Kingwood Hall in 1926 and represent the only gardens specifically created during Mr. King’s time. Revolving around the swimming pool that no longer exists, a guest could not reach the pool without strolling through at least one of the arts & crafts-styled gardens.

Peacock Playhouse

The Peacock Playhouse is a children’s education center offering hands-on activities that encourage nature exploration through self-guided play. It is the renamed Gate House that formerly served as a garage.

New Perennial Gardens

A long band of lawn connects the Garden Gateway to Kingwood Hall. We call that lawn our Allee. Parallel to the Allee is a similar swath of land on which resides our new Perennial Gardens.

Perennials are plants that persist for many growing seasons. Generally, the top portion of the plant dies back each winter and regrows the following spring from the same root system.

Woodland Garden and Trails

Just off the northwest corner of Kingwood Hall’s arrival courtyard, or forecourt, is a shade garden that has had an evolution of uses under the auspices of Kingwood as a public garden, but there is no known record of any special use for the site before 1952. There is also no knowledge of Mr. King maintaining trails through his woodlands.