the garden dirt
FOR FRIENDS OF BIRMINGHAM BOTANICAL GARDENS
Growing Green Leaders of Tomorrow
Because of the support of passionate individuals and organizations whose missions ally with our own, the Friends is cultivating the next generation of horticulturists, ecologists, plant scientists, and garden lovers
Children’s Springtime Garden Kit
It’s time to plant seeds! We have designed this kit with everything children need to plant seeds in colorful containers and design a special paper egg. Seeds are provided by the Library at the Gardens and were collected from plants grown at Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
Each garden kit, individually wrapped with seasonal ribbon, includes two containers, soil, seeds, planting instructions, and a paper egg with stickers. Kits will be available for pickup at Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
Order through Monday, March 29
Pickup dates: Tuesday, March 30, through Thursday, April 1
Friends: $20 | Non-Members: $25 | bbgardens.org/springgarden
Support the Gardens while you shop.
Members of the Friends save 10% on regularly priced merchandise. Leaf & Petal at the Gardens • 205.877.3030 • leafnpetal.com
Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens
2021 Board of Directors
Wally Evans Chair
John Smith T Immediate Past Chair
D.C. Coston Treasurer
Brian Barr Secretary
Kirk Forrester Chair of Communications & Marketing
Emily Bowron Chair of Development
Caroline Little Chair of Education & Visitor Experience
Bill Ireland Chair of Governance
Norm Davis Chair of Government Relations
Lee McLemore Chair of Operations
Members at Large
Uday Bhate
Sharon Brown
Stephanie Cooper
Bob de Buys
Wendy Evesque
Helen Harmon
Chris Hastings
Janet Kavinoky
Blevins Naff
Tiffany Osborne
Mike Rushing
Beverley Hoyt Evelyn Jones
Sharon Sherrod
Martha Emmett Sims
Benjamin Torczon
Jesse Vogtle
Director Emeritus
John Alex Floyd, Jr.
Our Mission
The Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens seeks to protect, nurture, and share the wonders of Birmingham Botanical Gardens. We are dedicated to serving the Gardens, serving the community, serving our visitors, and inspiring a passion for plants, gardens, and the environment.
Staff
Tom Underwood ..............................................Executive Director
Stephanie Banks Chief Financial Officer
Mindy Keyes Black Director of Communications & Marketing
Dawn DeFrank Donor Services Coordinator
Jamie Haas Communications & Marketing Associate
Ellen Hardy Education Program Coordinator
Penney Hartline Director of Development
Molly Hendry Garden Assessment Project Leader
Jason Kirby Library Assistant & Archivist
Dawn Coleman Lee Education Activities Specialist
Hope Long Director of Library Services
John Manion Kaul Wildflower Garden Curator
Brooke McMinn Director of Education & Visitor Experience
Alice Thompson Moore... Volunteer Coordinator
Michelle Phillips Office Coordinator
Drew Rickel Donor Relations Officer
Jane Underwood Director of Operations
Editor: Mindy Keyes Black
Art Design: Ellen Padgett
Cover and Lead Photos: Graham Yelton
Contributors: Susan Emack Alison, Dawn DeFrank, Jamie Haas, Ellen Hardy, Penney Hartline, Molly Hendry, John Manion, Brooke McMinn, Michelle Phillips, Drew Rickel, Christiana Roussel
©2021 Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens. All rights reserved. 2612 Lane Park Road, Birmingham, AL 35223 205.414.3950 | bbgardens.org communications@bbgardens.org
A facility of the Birmingham Park and Recreation Board, Birmingham Botanical Gardens is the result of a public/private partnership between the City of Birmingham and the nonprofit Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, a mission-driven membership organization that seeks to protect, nurture, and share the wonders of the Gardens. We hope you enjoy this issue of the Friends’ award-winning quarterly publication, The Garden Dirt. Thank you for visiting and supporting the Gardens!
Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens practices a policy of equal opportunity and equal access to services for all persons regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, orientation, or sex identity.
Dear Friend,
Signs of spring surround us at the Gardens. Bees are buzzing among the Lenten roses in our Southern Living Garden. Icelandic poppies cheerily greet visitors in our Forman Garden. Thousands of daffodil bulbs planted in 2020 add splashes of sunshine across our 67.5 acres.
It’s a wonderful time to get outside. From season to season, our gardens offer us a fresh start: a chance to begin anew as we reconnect with the beauty and wonder of nature.
Over the past year, because of your support, this urban oasis has served as an invaluable refuge for our community—a welcome source of health, wellness, and comfort. Our 2020 Annual Report, which you’ll find in the heart of this issue, highlights all that your Friendship has made possible during this challenging time. Your commitment, through your annual membership, donor contributions, and volunteer service, has kept these gardens growing when we have needed them most.
As you’ll see throughout the pages of this spring issue of The Garden Dirt, evidence of the Friends’ and the Gardens’ resilience is everywhere as our dedicated board, staff, volunteers, interns, and community partners join forces and find creative ways to protect, nurture, and share the wonders of the Gardens and to help us grow a greener tomorrow.
The Gardens community mourned the loss of a passionate advocate and dear friend in February: Director Emeritus and former Southern Living Editor in Chief John Floyd. John’s passion lives on in the garden spaces that he elevated and in the gardeners and garden lovers he inspired (see page 12). His legacy here endures.
The Friends team continues to stay apprised of public health guidelines as we plan spring and summer programming with the safety of staff, volunteers, and visitors our top priority. We are excited to resume small-group outdoor programs such as our health and wellness classes and children’s summer camps (see page 9) and our new Japanese Maple Day in the Japanese Garden (details at right).
Springtime offerings that traditionally draw larger audiences will remain online or transition to “hybrid” events that are part virtual, part in-person. Our 2021 Spring Plant Sale, which features plants specially selected for our region by our volunteer growing groups, is moving online (see page 8). Explore our springtime calendar on pages 8–9, and mark your own calendar to join us!
This spring and summer, as you continue to find peace and respite in the garden, we hope you enjoy the benefits of membership, including free and discounted admission to 330+ botanical gardens across North America (visit ahsgardening.org to learn more) and 10% off at Leaf & Petal at the Gardens, The Gardens Café by Kathy G, and participating nurseries, garden centers, and flower shops (see list on page 17 and at bbgardens.org/benefits). We hope you’ll also give the gift of membership to family and friends in 2021 at bbgardens.org/membership.
Thank you for all the ways that you give back to support and sustain this community treasure.
Tom Underwood Executive Director
Japanese Maple Day
A CELEBRATION OF JAPANESE MAPLE TREES
Saturday, May 15 | 1–4 p.m.
Japanese Garden at Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Join the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens for a special celebration of Japanese maples in the heart of the beautiful Japanese Garden. Hosted by the Friends’ Trees & Shrubs growing group as part of our Go Public Gardens Days (May 7–16) offerings, this special event will include
• Guided Japanese maple walks throughout the afternoon
• 2 p.m. - Japanese maple planting and pruning demonstration
• Japanese maple sale benefiting the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Demonstrations will take place at the Japanese Garden’s open-air Moore Cultural Pavilion, which offers outdoor seating. For your safety, numbers of attendees will be limited to 25 for the 2 p.m. demonstration and 10 per guided walk (first come, first served).
bbgardens.org/mapleday
Go Public Garden Days! is a nationwide initiative of the American Public Gardens Association that promotes visiting, valuing, and volunteering at public gardens nationwide. Thank you for supporting Birmingham Botanical Gardens through your annual membership, gifts, and volunteer service to the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Your commitment helps us grow a greener tomorrow!
A Treasure Among Oaks
BBG serves as a trial site for a national research study aiming to safeguard central Alabama’s rare, native Boynton oak
By JOHN MANION
ALABAMA RANKS AS THE FOURTH MOST biodiverse state in the U.S.—a nod to its wide variety of plant and animal species—largely due to three factors: our extensive river systems, our climate, and the fact that our state comprises five major physiographic provinces: the Piedmont, Ridge and Valley, Southeastern Appalachians, Interior Plateau, and Southeastern Plains.
The characteristics of each of these provinces strongly determines which species thrive within it. Birmingham and Jefferson County are situated at the juncture of two of these provinces, the Ridge and Valley and the Southeastern Appalachians— but also are close to the Piedmont.
One measure of our state’s astounding biodiversity is its extensive flora. We have 28 endemic species of plants, meaning species that are not found growing anywhere else (naturally) outside of Alabama. Included in this list of endemics is only
one tree species: the rare Boynton sand post oak. It’s listed as rare and endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and its ratings with another important organization that tracks conservation status, NatureServe, are G1 and S1. A rank of G1 indicates critical imperilment on a global basis; the species is at great risk of extinction. S1 indicates critical imperilment within a particular state (in our case, Alabama).
At present, Boynton oak is found growing naturally only in Alabama, although historical records say that it formerly grew in Texas as well.
Discovered around 1901 by the botanist Chauncey Delos Beadle (1866–1950), it was named in honor of his good friend and colleague, botanist Charles Lawrence Boynton. Beadle had been hired by Frederick Law Olmstead to work at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C.
This treasure among oaks is relatively small
compared to other oaks, partly because of where it grows. Its maximum size is usually about 20 feet tall, and it’s frequently multitrunked. It can be found on sandstone glades, inhabiting crevices within rock outcrops.
Finding this oak is always exciting due to its rarity. Years ago, our director at the time asked me to take a ride with him to see something interesting. He took me to a populated area of Mountain Brook and pointed out a tree in front of someone’s home thinking it was a Boynton oak. Indeed it was, and after contacting the landowner to get permission to collect acorns, we learned that it had been there when they first acquired the property decades earlier. Subsequently, we found other specimens on the same street. This made sense, since these properties are in a section of Mountain Brook that is partially composed of rock outcrops—the plant’s preferred habitat.
LEFT: Kaul Wildflower Garden Curator
John Manion shows one of 20 germinating oaks that the Friends will nurture as we help to safeguard this rare species. BELOW: You’ll find a 12-foottall specimen of Boynton oak near the rock outcroppings in our Kaul Wildflower Garden.
Growing Evidence
Recently we were invited to play a role in an ongoing study of this species. Tracy Cook of Huntsville Botanical Garden and Patrick Thompson of Auburn University’s Davis Arboretum launched an extensive study of the state of Boynton oak populations here in Alabama, during which several individuals spent 12 days from July to November, last year, visiting numerous sites to inventory the location and numbers of this plant. This study was funded by Huntsville Botanical Garden and Davis Arboretum. Additional funding was provided by the American Public Gardens Association and United States Forest Service. The resulting document is titled “APGA/USFS Tree Gene Conservation Partnership—2020 Collecting Trip Report for Quercus boyntonii.”
NOTABLE FACTS
GLEANED FROM THIS SURVEY:
1
Some instances of hybridization with other oak species were mapped.
2
Specimens were located in a county heretofore unknown to hold a population—Autauga County.
3
New populations were found in Jefferson, Shelby, and St. Clair Counties.
4
The largest population, featuring 115 specimens, was discovered on Double Oak Mountain in Shelby County.
5
In 2019 there were estimates of 300 individuals known; as a result of this project, 496 total specimens have been located.
Therefore, Boynton oak is now considered endemic to six counties in central Alabama. The Friends is proud to be one of 11 organizations cooperating with this important project by growing 20 acorns collected during these field trips. Once planted, the young oaks will be assessed over the next five years to see how they grow here at the Gardens. We are privileged to play a role and appreciate all the time and effort by the many individuals and organizations supporting it. The acorns we received are from a singular population; their cultivation will assist in safeguarding this rare species.
It’s exciting for us to add yet another conservation project to the others with which we are involved. Next time you visit the Gardens, look for our specimens of Boynton oak. We have one excellent specimen growing in the Kaul Wildflower Garden that is 12 feet tall.
Growing GREEN
BECAUSE OF THE SUPPORT OF PASSIONATE INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS WHOSE MISSIONS ALLY WITH OUR OWN, THE FRIENDS IS CULTIVATING THE NEXT GENERATION OF HORTICULTURISTS, ECOLOGISTS, PLANT SCIENTISTS, AND GARDEN LOVERS
As all good gardeners worth their salt will tell you, the heartiest specimens are often the ones with the strongest roots. That cellular network is the lifeblood of growth and a true harbinger of how well the plant will continue to do as it matures. While other conditions such as sunlight, water, and temperature all factor into a plant’s success, strong roots bode well for the longterm health of a plant.
This same concept is true for our gardening community; engaging young, eager minds in the
work that we do is akin to establishing a fantastic root system. Fortunately for us, our community partners make this happen, day in and day out.
Organizations such as the Rotary Club of Shades Valley, the Junior League of Birmingham, and Birmingham City School System all provide invaluable assistance that helps us cultivate the next generation of green leaders and garden lovers.
ROTARY CLUB OF SHADES VALLEY
Founded in 1963, this Rotary chapter has deep roots in the Over-the-Mountain communities of Homewood, Mountain Brook, and Vestavia Hills. Regular chapter meetings have been held
at the Gardens since the group’s inception, making the work the club does here all that more meaningful. One of the earliest projects RCSV participated in at the Gardens was the building of the Rotary Friendship Circle Walk in the Japanese Garden. Additionally, a number of Rotary Clubs in Japan made gifts to the Gardens as a showing of true international partnership and engagement.
The Rotary Club of Shades Valley has continued to support upgrades to the Garden Center for decades, including updating the muchused auditorium in 1988. Hundreds of other organizations and thousands of area residents who utilize the space can personally attest to the functionality of this community meeting space, which melds perfectly with the green space just beyond its doors.
In 2008, the Rotary Club of Shades Valley funded the first RCSV Summer Internship Program. The goal of this program is to provide a full-time college student (or recent graduate)
LEFT: 2020 Rotary Club of Shades Valley Intern Katie Stahlhut plants tomatoes in the Bruno Vegetable Garden; the tomatoes were later harvested and donated to local community kitchens. CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: 2020 Native Plant Intern Phillip Barlow helps Kaul Wildflower Garden Curator John Manion clean the garden’s pond. Birmingham schoolchildren explore the Gardens’ Barber Alabama Woodlands and learn to plant during an in-person 2019 field trip. 2019-2020 High School Intern Ann Inskeep (left) pulls weeds in the Southern Living Garden flower border with Garden Assessment Project Leader Molly Hendry last May.
LEADERS of Tomorrow
the opportunity to acquire hands-on skills in the area of applied public horticulture. These interns work directly with Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens Education and Operations teams and City of Birmingham-employed gardening staff at Birmingham Botanical Gardens. This program has seen graduates of Samford University, University of Montevallo, University of Alabama, and beyond.
The skills these interns acquire in this program have provided not only value to the Gardens but a meaningful foundation to each intern’s continued success in their respective fields. Fletcher Harvey, RCSV member and liaison to the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, puts it this way: “I can think of no better way to support the Gardens and the community as a whole as well. This internship is a good deal for both the Gardens and the interns themselves. We are proud
By CHRISTIANA ROUSSEL
of the fact that so many of the interns have gone on to pursue work in the public gardens realm.” Prior participants have gone on to work in public garden leadership or wetland mitigation or with medicinal plants or to pursue Master’s degrees in plant science. It is safe to say that the roots of each of these interns’ lives holds space in the soil of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and was made possible by this important community partnership with the Rotary Club of Shades Valley.
Katie Stahlhut, the 2020 RCSV Summer Intern, is a graduate of the University of Central Florida and is pursuing a graduate degree in plant science at Miami University in Ohio. Working as an intern at the Gardens in high school, she already had an appreciation for this resource. She says, “I wanted to return to the place that inspired me to work with plants to begin with.” During her internship, she applied “concepts learned in
school, such as fostering the growth of beneficial microbes in garden soils, as well as other aspects of public garden management.” Add in the challenges of COVID and she says, “I have already learned that working in these roles requires one to be flexible and creative.”
BIRMINGHAM CITY SCHOOLS
The Gardens is seen by many Birmingham residents as a jewel in the crown of the Magic City. Open daily and free to all visitors, the community treasure serves not only as a backdrop to stunning photography sessions or a respite from the grind of daily life, but as a classroom for thousands of Birmingham City School students. Children of all ages and their teachers visit through the Friends’ Discovery Field Trip series, which features a curriculumbased, hands-on approach to exploring the Gardens’ wonders, complementing a number of STEM-based classroom lessons. Students can learn the difference between deciduous
l Photographs by GRAHAM YELTON
BELOW: Junior League of Birmingham volunteer Quiwintre Frye shows replica Native American musical instruments made from gourds as part of the Friends’ new virtual Discovery Field Trip highlighting Native American plant practices. RIGHT: When schools canceled in-person field trips, the Friends pivoted to offer our popular Discovery Field Trip series virtually.
and evergreen trees and see the characteristics of each. They can watch earthworms at work and learn how they improve the quality of soil for thriving plants. And they can experience the wonders of a tropical environment in our very own Conservatory. This year, as many Alabama schools have chosen to limit field trips and embrace socially distant learning to slow the spread of COVID-19, students have had the opportunity to visit virtually as the Friends has expanded its educational toolkit to bring the Gardens into classrooms. As Dorothy M. Hollings, Department of Curriculum and Instruction and a STEM Curriculum Coordinator, says of the students’ visits to the Gardens, whether digital or in-person, “The value of teaching young people today about gardens and gardening is not limited to students learning sustainability [but adds to their] mental health benefits. It aslo provides healthy meal options.” The experience is particularly “positive and engaging for students [because it offers]
opportunities for them to explore where some foods are grown and harvested.”
JUNIOR LEAGUE OF BIRMINGHAM
Transportation to the Gardens is an obstacle for many Birmingham City Schools, and that is where the Can You Dig It? program of the Junior League of Birmingham is truly invaluable. Not only does this program, in operation for more than 20 years, provide funding for the buses that transport the students; it also recruits JLB volunteers to serve as instructors on many of these field trips. JLB member Lucy Anderson grew up loving visits to the Gardens with her grandparents, who took her there almost every week of her childhood. She volunteered with the Can You Dig It? program and later served as Project Chair. When asked about what this engagement has meant to her, she is effusive in her love of everything the Gardens is and can be. She delights in the wonder of these elementary children as they ask before entering
the Alabama Woodlands, “Will there be bears and snakes here?” Many have never had the opportunity simply to enjoy the natural world around them, much less delve into the science behind the beauty. One of her favorite lessons was one focusing on the work of George Washington Carver, a figure many students have learned about only in books or classroom lessons. “The children are a captive audience as we talk about the work Carver did with teaching farmers about the importance of crop rotation. And when we get to dig up sweet potatoes and peanuts, they are filled with awe and surprise. They love to put their hands in the dirt and watch squirrels gather nuts and simply be outside. For many students, this is so far removed from anything they get to do outside of school.”
Visits to the Conservatory are especially enlightening as students learn about where foods like coffee and chocolate come from. They can see firsthand how pineapples and bananas grow, where vanilla comes from, and what a cacao plant looks like. When learning about propagation, students see three varieties and take home butter beans to grow from seed or cuttings of inchplant (Tradescantia zebrina) to replant or mondo grass that will spread all on its own. Teachers take home books for their classrooms where the love of gardening can continue to take root and grow. Fletcher Harvey, Rotary Club of Shades Valley member and ardent Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens supporter, says it best, of the meaningful outreach work all of our community partners engage in: “Service above self—that is what is important.”
Nurturing Potential
When the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens Junior Board was discussing which part of the Friends’ work at the Gardens they would particularly like to champion, the answer was resounding: the Friends’ Kaul Wildflower Garden Native Plant Internship program. After the Friends’ 2020 Spring Plant Sale—our largest plant sale fundraiser of the year—was canceled due to COVID-19, the Junior Board got creative and hosted a presale of lavender and rosemary to help support the Friends 2020 Native Plant Intern. Last fall, the group continued their efforts by partnering with Yellowhammer Creative on a limited-edition BBG T-shirt fundraiser.
“The Birmingham Botanical Gardens is home to plants ranging from annuals that last one season to trees that can stand for centuries,” says Junior Board President Benjamin Torczon. “With such a variety of life in all its stages, there is something for every visitor. On the Junior Board,
we recognize that the seeds planted today are the flowers that blossom in the future, and we understand the parallels in educating the future stewards of the Gardens.”
On March 7, the Friends kicked off its new Evening With an Expert series to support internships and other educational initiatives at the Gardens. The event, which attracted 500 viewers, featured a garden-fresh, livestream cooking demonstration with James Beard Award-winning Chef (and Friends Board member) Chris Hastings of Birmingham’s Hot and Hot Fish Club and OvenBird. Says Chris: “When I was asked to do a cooking class for the Friends’ fundraiser I was thrilled to help support this amazing oasis in our community. My family and I have spent countless hours at the BBG since our kids were very small and even now with our granddaughter. It’s such a gift that we are able to have the Gardens in our community.”
Recent Interns
Your membership and gifts enable the Friends to provide meaningful experiences to young people as we seek to grow a greener tomorrow. Please join or renew at bbgardens.org/membership or make a gift at bbgardens.org/donate. Thank you for your support!
April 15-18
OUR 2021 SPRING PLANT SALE IS MOVING ONLINE !
Cultivate your inner gardener and support Birmingham Botanical Gardens by marking your calendar to shop the Friends’ Spring Plant Sale! Our 2021 sale will feature hundreds of plants specially selected for our region and nurtured by six of our dedicated volunteer growing groups. Members of the Friends will enjoy priority access to shop the Friends’ new e-commerce website as well as first choice of pickup time April 23–25 at the Gardens.
MEMBER PRIORITY SHOPPING: APRIL 15–16
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC: APRIL 17–18
THINK SPRING!
Celebrate Earth Day weekend at the Gardens by joining us for an outdoor, socially distanced Spring Plant Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 24! Contactless exhibits created by the Library at the Gardens, select Friends growing groups, and local plant societies will highlight favorite plants, their benefits to the garden, and growing tips.
FRIENDS TO HOST 2021 SPRING PLANT SALE VIRTUALLY
With the safety of the Gardens community top of mind, the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens will host its annual Spring Plant Sale— our largest plant sale fundraiser, which normally draws more than 5,000 attendees—online in 2021. Hundreds of plants that have been specially selected for our region and grown by six of our dedicated volunteer growing groups will be available for online purchase and self-loading pickup at the Gardens.
Shoppers will have the opportunity to choose from dozens of varieties of natives, ferns, perennials, herbs, tropicals, houseplants, trees, and shrubs, which will be available via a new e-commerce website currently under development. Members of the Friends will enjoy priority access to shop the site April 15–16. The online sale will be open to the public April 17–18. Orders will be fulfilled and shoppers may choose their preferred pickup time on Friday, April 23 (members) or April 24–25 (public).
In conjunction with the Spring Plant Sale and as part of Earth Day weekend, the Friends’ Education & Visitor Experience team will host a free informational Spring Plant Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 24, in the Formal Garden at Birmingham Botanical Gardens. The fair will feature exhibits created by the Library at the Gardens, select Friends growing groups, and local plant societies. Exhibits, which will be contactless and encourage social distancing, will highlight 3–5 plants from each group, growing tips, and the plants’ benefits in the garden. Proceeds from the sale support the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Thank you for helping us protect, nurture, and share the wonders of these cherished Gardens.
Happy planting!
SPRING 2021 CALENDAR
While a number of our programs remain virtual or hybrid this spring in the interest of health and safety, we are excited to resume our in-person, socially distanced, outdoor health and wellness offerings as soon as the weather allows! Preregistration is required. Please visit bbgardens.org/classes to learn more and reserve your spot for virtual and in-person programs.
VIRTUAL
FREE BROWN BAG LUNCH & LEARNS
Free and open to the public | Preregister at bbgardens.org/classes
Wednesday, March 24
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
SHINRIN YOKU
Led by Ashley McDuff, Yoga Instructor
Wednesday, April 7
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
PEST MANAGEMENT 101
Led by Dr. Ayanava Majumdar, Extension Entomologist, Alabama Cooperative Extension System
Wednesday, April 21
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
AROMI AZALEAS
Led by David Doggett, Friends volunteer and Jefferson County Master Gardener
Wednesday, May 5
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
BACKYARD BIRDS
Led by Greg Harber, Alabama Audubon
Wednesday, May 19
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
WHAT’S BUGGING YOU?
Led by Dr. Jim Jacobi, Plant Pathologist/ Diagnostician, Alabama Cooperative Extension System
Wednesday, June 2
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
EAT YOUR LANDSCAPE
Led by Trevor Mann, Walden Foodscapes
VIRTUAL
THYME TO READ
Free and open to the public | Preregister at bbgardens.org/classes
Tuesday, April 6
6 p.m.
American Dirt By Jeanine Cummins
Tuesday, May 4 • 6 p.m.
Dirt: Adventures in Lyon as a Chef in Training, Father, and Sleuth Looking for the Secret of French Cooking By Bill Buford
Tuesday, June 1 • 6 p.m.
The Body in the Castle Well By Martin Walker
VIRTUAL
SATURDAYS IN THE GARDENS
Cost: $10 | Preregister at bbgardens.org/ classes
Novice and seasoned gardeners welcome!
SOW
SENSATIONAL SUNFLOWERS
Saturday, March 20 10 a.m.–Noon
Led by Brooke McMinn, Director of Education & Visitor Experience, Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Sunflowers are one of the most popular genera of garden and cut flowers; from firsttime gardeners to experienced growers, everyone seems to gravitate towards these bold, easy-to-care-for flowers. Brooke McMinn will share tips and provide resources from the National Garden Bureau for growing your own sensational sunflowers at home.
GROW GREAT GARDEN BEANS
Saturday, April 17 10 a.m.–Noon
Led by Brooke McMinn, Director of Education & Visitor Experience, Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Of the many species of beans in the world, the common green bean gets celebrity status this year. Choose from bush beans, pole beans, filet beans, or dried beans for an easy and nutritious garden crop. Brooke McMinn will share tips and provide resources from the National Garden Bureau for growing your own great garden beans.
PLANT BEE BALM FOR POLLINATORS
Saturday, May 15 10 a.m.–Noon
Led by Brooke McMinn, Director of Education & Visitor Experience, Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Bee Balms (plants in the Monarda genus) have a long history for being used as medicinal herbs but are now also known as fantastic plants for pollinators. There are many new varieties to choose from that have been bred for easy growing and healthier plants. Brooke McMinn will share tips and provide resources from the National Garden Bureau for planting your own bee balm for pollinators.
CHILDREN’S SUMMER CAMPS: A FAMILY TRADITION
Learn more and register at bbgardens.org/ summercamps
Our popular summer camps will return in 2021! These fun, weeklong day camps are designed to promote your child’s creativity and the joy of discovery through fun learning experiences in the unmatched natural setting of Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
As always, your child’s safety is our top priority. Visit bbgardens.org/summercamps to learn more about safety precautions and to explore our 2021 offerings. Become a member at the Family level or above and receive a 20% discount and priority registration!
“Volunteering with the Friends feels like my love letter to Birmingham.”
—JESSICA MORRIS
What it is: Blue myrtle cactus (Myrtillocactus geometrizans)
What we love about it: The striking candelabra shape of this cactus will stop you in your tracks with its sculptural form and silvery blue hue. Once this plant is 2 feet tall, it begins flowering and producing edible fruit and will continue to grow, reaching a height of 10 feet!
Crazy About Cacti
For volunteer Jessica Morris, a chance visit to the Gardens led to a new pastime
By JAMIE HAAS
WHEN VOLUNTEER JESSICA MORRIS ENTERS the Desert House found in Birmingham Botanical Gardens’ Conservatory, the outside world seemingly melts away, and a vision takes over.
“There’s a focal point here. There needs to be something beautiful in that back corner.”
She walks the greenhouse, thoughtfully observing the ways it can be transformed into something magnificent. It’s not uncommon for her to greet the plants with a cheery “Good morning, beautiful!” before tending to their needs—watering, pruning, repotting, the works.
A floral designer by trade, she has an eye for green spaces, and the Desert House has been the object of her botanical fancy for quite some time. In October of 2020, one of her cacti at home became sick, so she stopped by the Conservatory for a quick visit, unaware that it would soon become a weekly occurrence.
“I was looking for inspiration and wanted to see how the Gardens took care of its cacti,’” says Jessica. With staff gardeners stretched thin among the vast acreage of green space to maintain, as well as a smaller volunteer presence at the Gardens due to COVID-19, it’s no surprise the Desert House presented Jessica with opportunities for improvement left and right. “I explored the space and thought to myself, ‘I would really love to rehabilitate the cacti house,’” she says.
Since then, Jessica has devoted at least two days a week to restoration projects in the Desert House and is aiming for a completed revamp in the weeks ahead. With the aid of fellow volunteers, she’s already addressed several “problem plants,” such as succulents and cacti that have been injured by graffiti, specimens that had become hosts to unwanted pests, and plants not suited for the space due to their size. Jessica hopes to create a display that feels “organic” to visitors, a landscape plucked from a far-off place and tucked neatly into the heart of the Magic City.
Jessica is working on a formal plan to submit to City of Birmingham Horticulture District Supervisor Adam Benjamin. The plan details other suggested projects for the Desert House, including a kid-friendly investigative area that encourages interaction with specific plants, and signage denoting the collections' standouts.
“People come to a botanical garden to see unusual, exceptional specimens—not everyday plants you can find at the grocery store. And there are amazing plants living in the greenhouses just begging to be seen,” says Jessica. Among her favorite finds are a fruit-producing Monstera plant, a bird-of-paradise with white blooms, and a baobab tree—the largest succulent in the world.
Like so many other endeavors at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, it takes a village of Friends and volunteers lending their expertise and time to make these goals a reality. And more often than not, the experience is a rewarding one.
“Volunteering with the Friends feels like my love letter to Birmingham. This is how I can contribute and make things better,” says Jessica. “When I visit 10 years from now and see the cacti thriving beautifully, I’ll know I’ve done something to be proud of.”
RIGHT: For Instagram followers like @lifewithmaxjames, the Desert House is filled with wonders.
What it is: Somalian aloe (Aloe somaliensis)
What we love about it: This stemless aloe is a handsome compact form with white mottling on the leaves. Its flowers are especially attractive to hummingbirds in search of sweet nectar.
What it is: Fernwood snake plant (Sansevieria ‘Fernwood’)
What we love about it:
This Sansevieria hybrid is celebrated for its toughness in a range of situations. It tolerates low-light conditions and brightens any room in your house with its cylindrical emerald stalks.
Around the Gardens:
Your Own Desert Escape
The Gardens’ Desert House displays an array of species from arid climates all over the world.
By MOLLY HENDRY
What it is: Spineless prickly pear cactus (Opuntia cacanapa ‘Ellisiana’)
What we love about it:
Native to Southwestern states, the prickly pear cactus is known for its showy blooms that turn into bright red fruit. This particular cultivar takes your prickly cares away by having spineless pads!
What it is: Bird-of-paradise (Strelitzia reginae)
What we love aboutit: This distinctive plant is renowned for its sensational orange sepals, or petal-like extensions, and midnight blue flowers. When birds perch on the flower to drink its nectar, the flowers open up, covering the bird’s feet in pollen.
SOMALIAN ALOE
SPINELESS PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS
FERNWOOD SNAKE PLANT
Remembering
Dr. John Floyd
YOU WOULD BE HARD-PRESSED to find a part of Birmingham Botanical Gardens that Dr. John Alex Floyd, Jr., hasn’t tended and transformed during the past 40 years. A lifelong gardener, skilled horticulturist, and longtime editor in chief of Southern Living, he was a driving force in the creation of our Southern Living Garden in 1981 and, while serving as Board Chair, oversaw the Gardens’ second master plan and the fundraising efforts that made it a reality.
Through his work with Southern Living, John was instrumental in positioning Birmingham as an epicenter of Southern gardening, style, and hospitality. He continued that effort in retirement through tireless community service. Here at the Gardens, he volunteered weekly in our Japanese Garden, helped shape our latest master plan, and generously shared his expertise, talents, and enthusiasm. John passed away on February 7, 2021, but his passion lives on in the garden spaces that he elevated and in the gardeners and garden lovers that he continues to inspire.
We are honored to share these special reflections celebrating John’s contributions and enduring legacy. —Mindy Keyes Black
TOP: Fixtures in the Japanese Garden’s Tuesday morning volunteer group, Ritsuko Asano and John Floyd team up in February 2020 to pull weeds in the tea garden.
ABOVE: Selected as the honoree at our inaugural Birmingham Blooms outdoor picnic in October 2020, John Floyd poses with his wife, Pam; Friends Executive Director Tom Underwood, past Board Chair Beverley Hoyt, and Immediate Past Chair John Smith T, who presented John a framed photo of the Japanese Garden's torii, or "gateway to heaven"; and two extra-special guests: grandchildren Emory and Wells.
An Enduring Legacy
The Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens Board of Directors, staff, and volunteers, along with the entire Gardens family, celebrate the life and contributions of Dr. John Alex Floyd, Jr. He will be dearly missed, but his legacy here will endure.
1
“On behalf of the Board of the Friends, I would like to pay special tribute to Friends Director Emeritus Dr. John Alex Floyd, Jr. John was a towering figure in the world of media and gardening in the South through his leadership at Southern Living magazine for many years. Additionally, he was heavily involved with the Friends as a donor, Board member, Board Chair, and enthusiastic volunteer. He was also a personal friend and regular source of good advice to me. We will miss him, but I am happy to know that the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and the Friends organization will bear his imprint for many years to come.”
—Wally Evans Board Chair, Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens
2
“It was over 20 years ago when I met John Floyd for the first time. I was working at Disney, and Southern Living was sponsor of our annual Flower & Garden Festival. In the years since, our paths crossed many times and I had the pleasure of getting to know John and many members of the talented team he assembled at Southern Living. He was a remarkable person who had a knack for bringing out the best in people. His caring and gracious Southern style, his enthusiasm for gardening, and his natural persuasiveness made him a powerful advocate for all things green and growing. Most recently, when Jane and I relocated to Birmingham to join the Friends, I was fortunate to have the chance to get to know him even better. We will cherish our memories of John in our hearts forever.
—Tom Underwood Executive Director, Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens
3
“John was a dedicated educator. No, that’s not sufficient. John was—with all his heart, and all his soul, and all his mind—a teacher. More than just a purveyor of information,
“Doc” had the gift of helping people master the art of learning. This attitude suffused his management technique as well. Whether in class or board room, John always asked: ‘What do I need to do to help you excel?’ And when you did, he loved it. ‘I knew you could!’”
—Norman Kent Johnson Landscape architect, past Friends Board member, and former Southern Living Garden Design Editor
4
“How fortunate the Gardens has been over the years for John Floyd’s continuing dedication and hands-on gardening help. Before his years at Southern Living, his teaching at Jefferson State Junior College was responsible for sparking my enthusiasm for plants and horticulture. Over the years, he was always supportive of my efforts whether in landscaping, plant identification, or writing, and he was a tremendous help in writing my book, even contributing a foreword. I am forever grateful.”
Louise Wrinkle
Past Friends Board member and Founding Member of The Garden Conservancy
5
“John and I had known each other professionally for several decades. A great joy in moving to Birmingham about five years ago was reconnecting with him. Centered around the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, especially volunteering with the “Docs” group in the Japanese Garden, we developed a much deeper, wonderful friendship. His encouragement (actually a big push) got me even more involved, including my becoming a member of the Friends’ Board. I have discovered that he provided similar guidance for countless people at the Gardens, in the Birmingham region, and beyond. His depth of knowledge, connections throughout Alabama and across the nation, incredibly valuable insights, unwavering commitment of time and passion, constant mentorship, marvelous humor, and eternal optimism are his enduring gifts and legacy for all of us.”
—D.C. Coston
Friends volunteer and Board member, Jefferson County Master Gardener
6
“I met John Floyd after he and I retired from our real jobs and I began volunteering at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, where John had a reputation as a powerful board member and a mighty fundraiser. But what I experienced was the Tuesday presence of a happy, sweaty man down on his knees pulling weeds. There was noth-
ing too dirty or too miserable to put John off his mission to revitalize the Japanese Garden. He saw what needed doing and then did it, and we followed. He led us from the front. We will all miss him, his big Selma voice, his joy at lunch with his inevitable hamburger and iced tea, and his confidence in the future of our beloved Birmingham Botanical Gardens.”
—Mike Rushing
Friends volunteer and Board member, Jefferson County Master Gardener
7
“John was a brilliant editor at Southern Living because he knew gardens and gardening better than anyone in the South, and he understood the magazine’s rural and agricultural roots, which dated back to Progressive Farmer. John’s version of Southern Living was real, relatable, practical, and unpretentious, just like him. He helped inspire a generation of Southern gardeners by giving them ideas they could use, not just pretty pictures. He also believed in the power of gardens to make the South a more beautiful place—including his beloved Birmingham Botanical Gardens—and there’s no doubt he succeeded.”
—Sid Evans Editor in Chief, Southern Living magazine
8
“We have lost another original “Three Docs” member from our Tuesday volunteer group. One summer Tuesday morning, I recall, I noticed some movement in the thick shrubbery along the torii gate path. I stopped only to find John weeding by himself. He showed me a piece of plywood on which he was sitting. It helped him to slide from one place to the next to keep weeding. When he was with other volunteers, his firm leadership and bright treble voice were too obvious not to notice, but it was John weeding in the bush that lives in my memory.”
—Ritsuko Asano
Friends volunteer and third-generation Chado (“Way of Tea”) instructor
9
“Dr. John Alex Floyd, Jr., was a rare and unique individual—a true renaissance man—who pursued his passions with a spirit and enthusiasm that was inspirational and infectious. You always felt just a little smarter for having been in his presence. And you wanted to reach greater heights because of the example he set. The Birmingham Park and Recreation Board benefited greatly
from the many years of service Dr. Floyd committed to the growth and development of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, which is truly an understatement. Indeed, it is nearly impossible to imagine a time when he was not advocating for gardens and the pleasures derived from our investments in plants and nature. As much as we may revel in his achievements directed toward making our city a better place, we are saddened to know that so much was surely yet to come. It is with a great sense of loss that the commissioners and staff of the Birmingham Park and Recreation Board extend condolences to the family of the late Dr. John Alex Floyd, Jr.”
—Shonae Eddins
Director, Birmingham Park and Recreation Board
10
“John Floyd served for many years on the Community Foundation’s Board and Grant Review and Evaluation Committee. More recently, he was a founding member of the Philip Morris Fund for Design Arts Committee. I am so grateful I had the opportunity to work closely with him and get to know him. John brought so much commitment, intelligence, and love of community to this work. He believed in giving 100 percent to everything he did, and he challenged the rest of us to do the same by his example. He is greatly missed by me and so many others connected to the Foundation!”
—Gus Heard-Hughes
Vice President, Programs, Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham
11
“In John I found a true gardening mentor and friend, one who met me both at the drawing table when fleshing out ideas and in the garden when it was time to plant out a new design. He provided faithful critique that sharpened me as a designer and horticulturist while also freely giving encouragement. He often even brought me plants from his own garden for projects he knew needed an extra little something.”
—Molly Hendry
Garden Assessment Project Leader, Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Meet Our New Board Chair and Members
The Friends is pleased to welcome new Chair Wally Evans and five new community and business leaders to our board of directors.
1. WALLY EVANS, Board Chair
Founder of Cahaba Media Group, Wally sold the company in 2020 after serving as its CEO for 18 years. An alumnus of Mountain Brook High School and Sewanee: The University of the South, Wally has lived in Birmingham almost all of his life and has a great appreciation for the role that the Gardens plays as a place where citizens from all of our metro area’s many municipalities, all ages, and all demographic backgrounds come to gather in nature’s beauty. His mother and paternal grandmother, both avid gardeners, were active with local garden clubs and involved with the Birmingham Botanical Gardens beginning in the 1960s. Wally became interested in gardening when he inherited the stewardship of his grandmother’s garden about 12 years ago. He joined the Friends’ board of directors in 2015 and has become an “unapologetic garden nerd,” visiting public gardens around the world whenever possible. He began studying the history and design of Japanese gardens as a hobby around 2010 and was fortunate to travel in 2015 to Kyoto, where he visited dozens of the most famous gardens in the world. He and his wife, Janie, have been married for 28 years and have two sons.
2. EVELYN JONES
Evelyn received her undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama and a Masters in Business Management from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota. She has held various professional appointments in healthcare administration since 1997, when she joined the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Evelyn joined UAB in 2007 and served as director of development in the School of Medicine. Building on her experience in business and healthcare, in 2014 she focused her efforts on diversity, inclusion, and equity and currently serves as executive director for diversity and community affairs for the UAB School of Medicine. In this role, she spearheads activities and initiatives in support of a diverse and inclusive environment. Evelyn’s community activities have included serving on the board of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama, as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for Jefferson County, and as a member of the Phi Iota Omega graduate chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
3. MIKE RUSHING
Mike was raised and educated in Texas and came to Alabama in 1976 to work for the United States Department of Agriculture. Mike and his wife, Paula, live in an 1894 cottage in St. Clair County, where they are involved in supporting historic preservation, pet adoption, and environmental issues. After taking the Master Gardening class in 2007, Mike began volunteering at Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Today, he teaches tree and shrub selection for Jefferson County Master Gardener Association classes, does home garden consultations for Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, and gardens year-round in his old gardens in the country.
4. MARTHA EMMETT SIMS
Martha serves as vice president and director of strategic programs and director of AdvantageHR Consulting at BXS Insurance. She has designed, implemented, administered, and managed health and welfare plans for national and global companies for over 25
years and has presented and facilitated professional and technical skills training to organizations across many industries. Martha manages the BXS Career Development Program, training career coaches as well as coaching staff and management colleagues through a personalized career development plan. In her role as the director of strategic programs, she is responsible for implementing management strategies that enable BancorpSouth Insurance Services to recruit, train, and retain a high performing and motivated workforce. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Alabama. She is a member of the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers (CIAB) and mentor for the National African American Insurance Association (NAAIA). Committed to civic service, she is past chair and a current member of the National Conference for Community and Justice of Alabama Board of Directors (NCCJ) and corresponding secretary for the Birmingham Chapter of the Links, Incorporated. She is a member of the REV Birmingham Board, a member of the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham, and a graduate of the 2019 Class of Leadership Birmingham.
5. BENJAMIN TORCZON
Benjamin is the 2021 President of the Friends’ Junior Board. After earning his M.S. in Finance from the University of Alabama, he moved to Birmingham in 2016 to join the Corporate Finance department of Regions Bank. In his time in Birmingham, he has been a regular visitor to the Gardens, where his favorite plant is the bigleaf magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla). He joined the Junior Board in 2019 and previously served as Secretary in 2020. His goal for the Junior Board in 2021 is to increase funds raised and hours volunteered. He will do this by channeling pent-up member enthusiasm to implement the ideas conceived-but-stymied in 2020 as well as by building on members’ diverse skills to find creative new opportunities to benefit the Gardens. In addition to his work with the Friends, he has been involved with the Birmingham Museum of Art and has put his Spanish-language skills to use as an ESOL teacher through a local church.
6. JESSE VOGTLE
Jesse is a partner in the Birmingham law office of Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP, specializing in banking and corporate bankruptcy matters. When not practicing law, Jesse has been active in the community. He was twice elected to the Mountain Brook City Council, where he served as president pro tempore. He served on the Birmingham Zoo board and was elected chairman during 2013–2015, and elected emeritus Birmingham Zoo board member in 2017. He served on the board for the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA), serving as its chairman in 2016. He also serves on the Corporate Committee for the Alabama Symphony Orchestra (ASO), recently serving as corporate chairman. Jesse is currently serving a two-year term as chairman of the board for the Alabama Wildlife Federation, the oldest and largest Alabama statewide nonprofit conservation organization. He is a graduate of Leadership Birmingham and Leadership Alabama, serving on Leadership Alabama’s regional council. Jesse and his wife, Laura, have been married for 29 years and have five children.
Thank You
2021 IS OFF TO A GREAT START AT THE GARDENS. It is wonderful to see so many visitors, members, and donors walking the many pathways. We want to thank everyone for their generous support of the Friends. All gifts make a difference! There are so many ways you can participate: membership, annual donations, memorials and tributes, legacy giving, as well as joining an education program or special event.
We are excited to launch a new series—Evening With an Expert—this year. Our first experience was a cook-along with award-winning Chef Chris Hastings of Hot and Hot Fish Club and OvenBird restaurants here in Birmingham. More than 500 viewers participated in the virtual cooking class from all over the country. Guests prepared their three-course meal with Chef and then were able to enjoy the wonderful dishes with family and friends in their homes. Please look for upcoming Evenings With an Expert. (Who will be the next one?) Thank you to those who were able to join us virtually. We hope to host in-person events soon.
Visit the Gardens often—your support helps keep our Gardens beautiful for all to enjoy!
—Penney Hartline, Director of Development
HONORARIUMS
November 2020–January 2021
Yates & Tommy Amason
Ms. Charlotte M. King
Ritsuko Asano
Pam & John Floyd
Donald A. Wood, Ph.D.
Lindsey Barclift
Mr. & Mrs. John M. Musgrave
Marie & Bill Baxley
Ellen & Hobart McWhorter
Joyce Benington
Dr. H. Peter & Susie T. Jander
Frances Dean Blount
Laura & Richard Abernethy
Elise Bogdanchik
Highland Lakes Garden Club
Chris Boles
Carolyn & John Stadtlander
Ethelyn & James Bradford
Miss Mary Robert Carter
Debbie Brantley
Pam & John Floyd
Ross Callaway
Pam & John Floyd
City Gardeners and the Friends Staff
Mr. & Mrs. Marvin Snyder
Dr. & Mrs. James R. Williams
Stephen Colvin & Jaime Martinez
Mr. Dan Colvin
Ms. Susan C. Colvin
D.C. Coston
Pam & John Floyd
D.C. & Debbie Coston
Ms. Elisabeth C. Penry
Laura Denver
Pam & John Floyd
Gene Donaldson
Pam & John Floyd
Martha B. Eskew
Lee & Ed Chapman
Trudy Evans & Russell Levenson
Sandy & Art Rogers
John Floyd
Mr. & Mrs. D. Allen Gillespie
Bill & Jeanetta Keller
Cindy & Bill McDougald
Les & Mitchie Neel
Craig & Cindy Fravert
Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Carter
Friends Staff
Anonymous
Norm Geisinger
Pam & John Floyd
Dr. Gregory Umphrey & Dr. Mia Geisinger
Diana & Tom Gester
Dr. Karen A. McCaffery & Mr. Cris Tucker
Philip Grover
Ellen & Hobart McWhorter
Helen & Chris Harmon
Mr. & Mrs. Ed Ansbro
Penney Hartline
Mrs. Annette M. Linder
Molly Hendry
Janice & Don Hendry
Lyle Hohnke
Pam & John Floyd
Henry F. Hughes
Anonymous
Laura & Thornton Hydinger
Mrs. Sharon F. Hydinger
Susan Salter & Steven Hydinger
Mrs. Sharon F. Hydinger
Philip Jackson
Ellen & Hobart McWhorter
Jim Jacobi
Dr. & Mrs. Donald H. Slappey, Jr.
John Kerns
Pam & John Floyd
Peter Knight
Pam & John Floyd
Katie & Jim Lasker
Patty & Allen* Baker
Gail & Milton Magnus
Dr. Karen A. McCaffery & Mr. Cris Tucker
Birthday of Jaime Martinez
Mr. Dan Colvin
Susan, Beau & Alec Colvin
Dr. Michael L. McInturff
Mrs. Robbin C. McInturff
Anniversary of Kat & Hunter
Menton, married at the Gardens 23 years ago
Ms. Paige Menton
Thomas W. Moore, Jr.
Ms. Kay C. Calhoun
Dona & John Musgrave
Rosemary & Charles Reid
Nancy C. Natter
John T. Natter
Kate Newton
Pam & John Floyd
Anne Parrish
Dr. Amy P. Player &
Mr. Johnathan Player
Carol P. Poynor
Ms. Robin L. Stewart
Melissa Robinett
Mr. Hugh Smith
Mike Rushing
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Arenberg
Mr. David E. Doggett
Pam & John Floyd
Highland Lakes Garden Club
Mr. & Mrs. Marvin Snyder
Neal Schooley
Pam & John Floyd
Julie Sellers
Pam & John Floyd
Linda G. Sherk
Ms. Linda F. Xia
Jeanie Sherlock
Anonymous
Sally & Steve Smith
Dr. Jonathan H. Waddell & Ms. Lexa L. Magnus
Dr. Karen A. McCaffery &
Mr. Cris Tucker
Ben Stillwell
Ms. Kay C. Calhoun
Don & Ann Sweeney
Phil & Virginia Butler
Mark Thompson
Greenville Garden Club
Ashlee Uhlar
Pam & John Floyd
Tom Underwood
Marc & Susan Corsini
Lucie & Jonathan Waddell
Dr. Karen A. McCaffery & Mr. Cris Tucker
Annette Waters
Ms. Nancy C. Hayley
MEMORIALS
November 2020–January 2021
Joyce Sundermeier Andrews
Ms. Cindi Avolese
Sarah Andrews
Mr. & Mrs. Gary M. Delohery
Bill Ashworth
Dr. & Mrs. Richard S. Cybulsky
Nancy Bailey
Mr. Robert E. Heithaus &
Ms. Anne M. Bailey
Schuyler Allen Bradley Baker, Jr.
Nancy & Murray Smith
Jackie Cummings Boggan
Mr. Byron Boggan &
Ms. Lanette C. Sherrill
Beverly Ponder Brandau-Rives
Mr. & Mrs. Charles B. Langham
William Bronner Burgess
Sherri & Rick Burgess
Bess (Bitsy) Bishop
Edmundson Coleman
William E. Coleman
Mary Katherine (Kathy) Connolly
Mr. Michael G. Gray
William Harter Cooney
Pratt & Anne-Marie Brown & Ben Head
Nancy Lee Lane Diethelm
Bill & Linda Holman
Betty Joyce Harpst Douglas
Mr. & Mrs. S.C. Bisset III
Mrs. Ruth S. Bozeman
Lilly K. Eagleson
Amy Eagleson
Robert L. Eskew, Sr.
Lee & Ed Chapman
Mr. & Mrs. John R. Eskew
Mrs. Martha Eskew
Linda & Jerold McIntosh
Susan & John McIntosh
Mr. Bill Tevendale
Mr. & Mrs. Robert C. Wilson, Jr.
Peggy Honeycutt Field
Mr. & Mrs. Robin H. Harbin
Sandra & Jerry Parker
Terrence (Terry) Joel Fierman
Mr. Carlos S. Staples, Jr.
William (Bill) W. French III
Karen Chapman
Joe Herman Hagedorn
Mrs. Dixie Hagedorn
Foster Ray Hartline
Mr. & Mrs. Tom Brinkley
Ann Barcroft Hicks
Mrs. Eve W. Holloway
Tremont Garden Club
Winifred Ann Turner Hull
Charlie & Bebe Bugg
Drue Lucille Ingram
Margi Ingram
Joyce Martin Jones
Ms. Janet Fisher
James Garfield Lambert, Jr.
Dr. & Mrs. Roger Smith
Rebecca (Becky) Laughlin
Mr. & Mrs. Skip Metheny
Judge Caryl P. Privett
Helen Lawlor
Fran Lawlor
Frederick Robert Lehmeyer
Mrs. Joyce E. Lehmeyer
Irvin Leslie
Sharon & Edward Bromberg
Audrey Mae Loveless
MacWilliams
Marsha & John Markus
Margot Kessler Marx
DeBardeleben Foundation
Mrs. Marjorie Forney
The Hackney Foundation, Inc.
The Sperling Family
Charitable Foundation
Margaret (Peg) Hobson
Walker McGowan
Stacy & Mike Rowland
Charles Mixson Miller
Tremont Garden Club
Richard T. Owens
Mrs. Frances W. Owens
Billie Houlditch Pigford
Mr. & Mrs. William G. Colvin
Ms. Mary Ann Gordon
Dr. & Mrs. R.F. Mitchell
Mr. & Mrs. Russell C. Nemec
Ms. Mignonne Pearson
Mr. & Mrs. William H. Pickering
Charlotte Manning
Strange Reece
Mrs. Eve W. Holloway
Shirley Hanson Roberts
Mr. & Mrs. Michael D. Ross
Oliver Gordon Robinson, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. William L. Forbes
Robert Taylor Russell
Susan & Russell Stutts
Frances Lindsey Ruth
The Herb Army
The Herb Society of Alabama
Martin (Marty) David Schulman
Dr. Morton Goldfarb
Frances Estes Seibels
Shelley & Frank Lindstrom
Nancy & Murray Smith
Robert G. Sherrill
Mr. Byron Boggan & Ms. Lanette C. Sherrill
Barbara Hand Somers
Peggy & Michael Balliet
Mary & Martin Beasley
Mrs. Mary Kate Dyer & Mr. Tom Dyer
Mr. & Mrs. Rodes Ennis
Johnie Geiger
Ann Hillhouse
Mrs. Eve W. Holloway
Mr. & Mrs. George F. Somers, Jr.
Anne & Bob Waudby
Mrs. Mary Kay Wilson
Kathryn Leah Speegle
Ryan, Erica & Charlie Speegle
Paul Herbert Spence
Billy & Barbara Pennington
Theresa Jo Bruno Sprain
Dr. Caroline Hickman
James & Alice Strong
Michael Tatum
Mildred Mary Tranchant Swift
Ms. Sharon S. Luffey
Leona (June) Underwood
Cindy & Brian Barr
Mr. & Mrs. William A. Bowron, Jr.
Bettie Sue Day Walker
Sandra & Jerry Parker
Charles Whitten Walter, Sr. & Arline Ford Walter
Mr. & Mrs. Whitten Walter
Robert (Bob) Joseph Wendorf
Mrs. Margaret H. Bish
Mr. H. Neal Moore, Jr.
Emily Coxe Winburn
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas W. Bowron II
Herbert (Herb) Douglas Wise
Annette & Walter Dean
LIBRARY DONORS
November 2020–January 2021
Dr. William M. Bishop
Claire England
Paula & Mike Rushing
LIBRARY MEMORIALS
November 2020-January 2021
Thomas Anderson Mears
Oak Street Garden Shop
Employees
Frances Estes Seibels
Oak Street Garden Shop
Employees
LIBRARY HONORARIUMS
November 2020–January 2021
Jason Kirby
Hollywood Garden Club
Horticultural Study Club
Ginny Lusk
St. Clair County Master Gardener
Will Newton
Pam & John Floyd
Mary Pritchard Forman
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Bottcher
Sharing the Joys of Nature
For decades, Fran Lawlor has continued to return—and give back—to her happy place
By MINDY KEYES BLACK
FOR AS LONG AS SHE CAN REMEMBER, Fran Lawlor has felt botanical gardens were some of the happiest places on earth. A native New Yorker, she and her parents regularly took the subway from their apartment to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, where Fran discovered a world of wonders. “We used to sit under a particularly favorite willow tree with a little stream running by,” she recalls. “That is my earliest memory. Later on, we would bring our Girl Scout troop to see the cherry blossoms—they were stunning.”
As she grew up, Fran took advantage of the Brooklyn garden’s hands-on workshops, and once she had a car— and free time between courses she was teaching at Fordham University—she began driving her mother to the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, where they attended classes and seasonal shows and where Fran led children’s garden tours for years. “You can’t do a lot of green in an apartment,” she says, “so we accomplished that through botanical gardens.”
A passionate career educator, Fran moved to Birmingham in 2006 to accept the position of Deputy Superintendent of Birmingham City Schools and soon discovered her newest happy place in Birmingham Botanical Gardens. She joined the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens and in 2008 established a planned gift to the Friends through her trust, becoming a member of the Friends’ Perennial Legacy Giving Circle.
“Truly what inspired me to get involved and to join the Perennial society here is pleasure,” she says. “Botanical gardens have brought me pleasure all of my life. They are happy places.”
Since retiring in 2018 as Superintendent of the Diocese of Birmingham Catholic School System, Fran has devoted even more of herself to the Gardens and the Friends, serving as a garden guide, education docent, and member of the selfproclaimed Herb Army. She is also active with the American Red Cross and the Birmingham Museum of Art. (“As a superintendent, you get used to being on 24/7, so I stay very active,” she says.)
On the morning of our interview, she is busy at work in an outdoor lathhouse, caring for herbs that the Herb Army will
sell at the Friends’ 2021 Spring Plant Sale. “I’m checking the plants for weeds after last night’s storms,” she says. “My goal is to keep the periphery as clear as I can for the plants. The lathhouse contains herbs that can winter outdoors. These are usually of the woody type. The greenhouses are used for plants that require more controlled conditions,” she adds.
She appreciates the precautions that the Friends and the Birmingham Park and Recreation Board have put in place to help keep volunteers safe during the COVID pandemic but also looks forward to leading tours and field trips again one day. Being a docent allows her to explore—and share— special parts of the Gardens with others.
“I happen to like the woodlands,” she says. “I know my way around, and we lay out things for the kids to ‘find’ on our woodland tours. Then there’s also the secret Native American area behind the camellia and herb gardens; the Creeks and Cherokees were here in this area. What I do with the kids on the tour is stop on the bridge near the Bog Garden and say, ‘Imagine that this is all you see around you and that you were alive 300 years ago. How would you survive?’”
She hopes that her membership, planned gift, and volunteer service help safeguard the Gardens for future generations to discover as she did. “From the start, I was literally led into this special world,” she says. “It has given me a lifelong love of learning and continues to be a place I go as a special treat. It’s invigorating. It’s relaxing. It’s soothing. It’s nature.”
FRAN LAWLOR
Plant the Seeds for Your Lasting Legacy at the Gardens
JOIN OUR PERENNIAL LEGACY GIVING CIRCLE
You can help us perpetuate the wonders of Birmingham Botanical Gardens and all that it means to our community and region by including the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens in your planned giving. Gifts to the Friends ensure that this botanical treasure will remain a place of beauty and source of inspiration to all who visit for generations to come. Every gift makes an impact. Please consider designating the Friends as a beneficiary of your estate through your will, charitable trust, or retirement beneficiary designation. We are grateful to those who have made this special commitment. Please join them in supporting and protecting this beloved community resource. Call Director of Development Penney Hartline at 205.414.3950, ext. 103, to learn more.
PERENNIAL LEGACY
GIVING CIRCLE
As of December 31, 2020
Recognizing those who have made or pledged a planned gift
Mr.* & Mrs. Edgar G. Aldridge
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Balliet
Ms. Camille A. Becker
Mrs. Lucille S. Beeson*
Peggy Bonfield & Orrin Ford*
Ida C. & D. Joseph Burns*
Mr. & Mrs. Arthur I. Chenoweth*
Mary Carolyn Gibbs Cleveland
Suzanne G. Clisby
Dr. & Mrs. D.C. Coston
Mrs. Martha Stone Cobb
Daniel*
The Daniel Foundation of Alabama
Dr. L. Aubrey* & Elizabeth Drewry
The Dunn-French Family
Dr. John D. Elmore*
Martha B. & Robert L.* Eskew
Mrs. Trudy Evans
Mr. & Mrs. Wally Evans
Mrs. Claire H. Fairley*
Bernadine Rushing Faulkner
Mr. F. Lewter Ferrell, Jr.*
Dorothy Ireland Fletcher
Dr.* & Mrs. Charles P. Grant
Patti Hammond
Jody & Don Hamre*
Penney & Roger Hartline
Mr. R. R. Herbst*
Mrs. Jimmie Hess*
Mr. J. Ernest Hill & Mrs. Ora Lee Hill*
Enjoy Your Member Benefits!
Interest in home gardening has surged across the country over the past year, with a reported 19 million Americans trying their hand at vegetable gardening for the first time. As you rediscover the benefits and rewards of home gardening in 2021, be sure to shop local. The Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens is grateful for the many ways that local businesses give back to support the Gardens. Remember to show your membership card at these participating nurseries, garden centers, and flower shops, where members of the Friends receive 10% off plant and flower purchases:
BOTANICA • DOROTHY MCDANIEL’S FLOWER MARKET • FARMSTAND BY STONE HOLLOW* • HOUSE PLANT COLLECTIVE* • LEAF & PETAL AT THE GARDENS • MYERS PLANTS & POTTERY • PETALS FROM THE PAST • SHOPPE: BIRMINGHAM • SWEET PEAS GARDEN SHOP • WILD THINGS*
Certain exclusions apply; visit bbgardens.org/benefits to learn more.
Mrs. Jane Hinds
Fay B. Ireland*
Dr. Susan Jackson
Mr. George L. Jenkins
Bobbe & Hugh Kaul*
Ms. Pamela Kaul*
Mr. Jason C. Kirby & Mr. Benjamin J. Faucher
Fran Lawlor
Dr. Bodil Lindin-Lamon*
Hope Long
Dr. Michael E. Malone
Annie Lee Buce Matthews*
Ms. Louise T. McAvoy*
Douglas A. & Linda P. McCullough
Margaret H. McGowan*
Mrs. Mary Jean Morawetz
Mr. Philip Morris*
Thelma Vaughan Mueller*
Mr. & Mrs. Fred W. Murray, Jr.
Dr. James L. Newsome*
Dr. & Mrs. A. I. Perley*
LeAnne* & Steve Porter
Mrs. Carol P. Poynor
Mrs. Dorothy L. Renneker*
Deborah & John Sellers
Sandra S. Simpson
Mr. & Mrs. William M.
Spencer III*
Mr. Douglas Arant Stockham
Janet & Jarry Taylor
Dr. Wendell H. Taylor, Sr. *
Mrs. Barbara D. Thorne *
Dr. & Mrs.* Jack W. Trigg, Jr.
Mrs. Carolyn D. Tynes *
Mrs. Ann H. “Nancy” Warren*
Mrs. Robert Wells
Anonymous (2)
*Deceased
*New to our member benefit program in 2021!
Experience the Art of Kathy G. at the Gardens
The Gardens Café is the perfect venue for wedding receptions, rehearsal dinners, bridesmaid luncheons, teas, corporate lunches and dinners, receptions and other private events. Please join us for lunch at the Gardens and think of us for your next event. Inspired by local greens and produce, the café lunch menu changes seasonally. Visit us online to view a sample menu and current details about in-café dining. Members of the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens receive a 10% discount on lunch when you show your membership card.
Tuesday–Friday l 11 a.m.–2 p.m. l bbgardens.org/cafe
LENTEN ROSE
2612 Lane Park Road
Birmingham, Alabama 35223
205.414.3950 bbgardens.org
Thank you for your commitment to this community treasure. Your support is vital for the Gardens and those we serve. Please renew or upgrade your membership at bbgardens.org/membership.
More than 34,000 daffodil bulbs were planted across the Gardens’ 67.5 acres in 2020 thanks to an in-kind donation from Virginia-based Brent and Becky’s Bulbs. Drifts of ‘Chinita’ daffodils light up the border along the back stone wall in the Southern Living Garden flower border.
The Garden Dirt is printed using vegetable-based inks. Please recycle.