Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! On March 29, my friend Diana and I traveled to Houston for the Garden Conservancy-sponsored Open Days tour. Del Monte Drive in the posh River Oaks neighborhood was home to two of the gardens, starting with a surprising “safari garden” behind one of the most enormous homes I’ve ever seen.

Voila! The neo-French mansion in all its pale-pink glory. Actually, this picture doesn’t do it justice because it obscures an entire wing of the house to the left, plus a freestanding ballroom with its own entry court on the right (pics at the end of this post). Grande, non?

We expected little more than an elegant parking court, graceful old trees, and obligatory acres of lawn and azaleas. Imagine our surprise, therefore, when our perfunctory stroll through the rear garden turned into a fun, exploratory walkabout through azalea trails leading past a menagerie of life-size animal sculptures. Look out! Here comes a leopard.

Elephants are my favorite animal and seemed to be the owner’s too. This baby elephant, perched over a small pond, its trunk stretched out for a drink, is one of three elephant sculptures in the garden.

Yes. Three life-size elephant sculptures.

Two of them are only calves, however, and don’t take up much room.

This picture shows how the stepping-stone path winds through a groundcover of mondo grass and past borders of azalea, foxtail fern, and philodendron. Overarching the scene is an upper layer of small trees like Mexican plum and sinuous, dark-limbed live oaks.

It was quite a magical space, believe it or not. We imagined how much fun the owner’s children or grandchildren must have, running these trails and climbing on the animal sculptures.

Here a foal grazes amid cut-back liriope while a turtle raises its head for a look.

A bronze bear sniffs the air for the presence of tasty little boys or girls.

Watch out! A hippopotamus gapes wide amid azalea, loropetalum, and iris.

A fancy playhouse on stilts, looking very much like a safari tent, is tucked into one end of the garden, surrounded by rustling bamboo.

Beneath it, a flagstone patio furnished with camp chairs invites lounging or play. A gorilla relaxes nearby.

From another angle you see the playhouse, inviting paths, and — whoa! — an alligator snapping at passersby from a clump of variegated flax lily. Over-the-top it may be, but come on! What kid wouldn’t love this?

Backing up for a wider view, you see elegant steps leading to a vine-cloaked pool house or storage building. Two of these green-doored structures flank each side of a swoop-roofed pool cabana…

…with a striped, tent-like ceiling, buffet, mirror, dining table, and incredible beaded chandelier. Lounge chairs, not pictured, are aligned on the lawn on each side of the pavilion, all overlooking the pièce de résistance…

…a prancing, life-size elephant spouting water from its trunk into a circular swimming pool surrounded by palms.

We met the landscape architect who designed this garden, Frank Brown III, who also happens to be the Houston Open Days organizer, and he told us that the owner already owned the animal sculptures, and he was charged with figuring out how to display them. I think he did a marvelous job.

I stood in the pavilion for a bit, looking out on the scene and wondering about the kind of person who purchases a menagerie of life-size, bronze sculpture for her garden. I imagined someone a bit like my husband’s grandmother, who has always had a flamboyant style, an appreciation for whimsy, and a willingness to spend to create an experience for her family and friends.

By the way, that’s the free-standing ballroom up ahead.

Here’s a look at it from the front. This is the first area of the garden we saw. Very nice, of course, but not particularly inspiring for the average homeowner.

A parking court with an island of boxwood and roses. But wait — what’s that against the house?

Espaliered magnolias! Perhaps Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’? Now that’s interesting, and do-able for any skilled gardener on a smaller budget. See? There’s always a takeaway.

Up next: The casually elegant 3640 Del Monte Drive Garden. For a look back at the contemporary West Lane Garden, click here.

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