The Best Kept Secret of East Texas

Mrs. Lee’s Daffodil Garden

Around 1954, over 1,000 acres of land near Gladewater, Texas, was transformed by the land lady, Mrs. Helen Lee, into a secret garden. Out of her love to the land, she converted what used to be a gravel pits into a daffodil retreat with a 5-acre lake and a 3-acre pond, called Lake Josephine – named after her mother. It took an entire boxcar load of daffodil bulbs from Holland and about 40 workers to make this daffodil garden. It is considered the best kept secret in East Texas. A replica of pioneer style log cabin was added to the site in 1954 overlooking Lake Josephine as a quiet place to enjoy the beauty of the land and its wildlife. Following her passing in 1984, at her request, the park has been opened to the public in spring.

Learn more about the park at http://www.daffodilgarden.com/daffodils_home.htm