HOUSTON, Tx. – March 10, 2026 – The Houston Botanic Garden is thrilled to welcome T.J. Oliver into his new role as Director of Horticulture. Oliver joined the Garden’s horticulture team in August 2025 as Horticulturist II – Gulf Coast Natives & Aquatics. Now, he steps into the Director of Horticulture role on the threshold of the Garden’s next great step forward.
A leader in public horticulture and ecological landscape management for nearly two decades, Oliver brings a thoughtful, people-centered approach to the role. Oliver’s horticultural perspective blends ecological function, creative design, and long-term stewardship with a focus on building resilient landscapes that support both plants and people.
“I love blending water features and the land,” Oliver says. “Water softens the landscape, and between the natural Sims Bayou meander and our built water features, the design opportunities are limitless.”
Previously at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Oliver participated in greenhouse and propagation operations that supported the entire garden, led and expanded the community kitchen garden’s production and display areas, and was involved with integrated pest management, accessioning, and designing garden spaces connected to their recent major conservatory expansion project. Across roles all around the U.S. in public gardens, community and production agriculture, and arboriculture, Oliver has built and mentored teams, managed volunteers, and guided projects from concept through implementation.
This experience and understanding of an established garden will help him grow the horticulture staff. “There’s a really talented group of people here. I want to help them be the best that they can be.”
Oliver’s appointment comes just as the Garden embarks on its next phase, promising new facilities, gardens, amenities, and public resources in the coming years. And the short-term is just as exciting. In 2026 alone, several improvements are underway at Houston’s Garden.
“We’re cleaning up the Sims Bayou meander and installing trash booms to preserve that ecosystem,” Oliver says. “The Louisiana Iris collection in the Susan Garver Family Discovery Garden is expanding, and so are the collections in Culinary and the Global Collection. We’re improving the nursery and increasing our greenhouse capabilities so we can grow our own plants. We’re working with our native spaces to create some trails so visitors can enjoy the native environment. And our staff is growing.”
With 132 acres on two land bodies, there is plenty of room to grow. And between the bayou meander and unused spaces, a lot of it is wilderness. Oliver, who takes inspiration from the natural world, wants to give that experience to Houston.
“I want to help people that live in a relatively urban area enjoy this little patch of paradise, this little patch of nature, and help it be a focal point for the community.”
