Grace Calvert Editor

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Bob Hatton and his wife Lanna used to visit the St. Louis Botanical Gardens at least once a week. It was there that Mr. Hatton fell in love with and became passionate about gardening. After retiring in Amarillo, Bob began volunteering at the Botanical Gardens and eventually stepped in as Interim Executive Director. As Director, and with the help of countless volunteers, Bob has transformed the Amarillo Botanical Gardens into a place of wonder and enchantment. As I strolled down the winding paths last week, I felt as if I had been warped into a different place. Long gone was the hot, dry wind of the Texas Plains.

Being surrounded by so much incredible life can take your breath away. As the faint scent of rosemary drifted through the air, I began to feel a sensory explosion. Bursts of Poppies and Perky Sues caught my eye and the sound of a fountain trickled into my ear. The diversity of natural beauty was overwhelming and I could have spent hours exploring. In a land where one can become accustomed to watching the tumbleweeds blow, you must visit the Amarillo Botanical Gardens and watch something GROW. Stop by and take a long look at one of these themed plantings: the butterfly garden, the Japanese garden, the herb garden, the fragrance garden, and many more. The Gardens are open year round and have Music in the Gardens on Monday evening nights. For more information, visit www.amarillobotanicalgardens.org.

The History and Background of the Amarillo Botanical Gardens:
Amarillo, Texas was first settled in 1887 as a cattle-marketing center with two new railroad lines spurring its development. With the enthusiasm and purpose of visionary people Amarillo has grown to become a vital business, professional and cultural center serving more than 750,000 people in a five-state region, including Eastern New Mexico, the panhandle of Oklahoma and Western Oklahoma, Southeastern Colorado, Southwestern Kansas and the Panhandle of Texas. The Texas Panhandle, covering twenty-six counties and 26,000 square miles, is home to slightly more than 500,000 people. Amarillo is the Potter County seat and the largest city in the Panhandle. Its business and economic center straddles both Potter and Randall Counties in the center of the Panhandle region.

Amarillo people have worked hard for more than a century to build an extraordinary future for their families and their community. Pioneer spirit, optimism and diligence have created the many cultural, economic and educational opportunities that are shared by today�s citizens. The community has a long and valued history of "taking care of its own.� Central to this attitude has been the importance of providing resources, including cultural and educational, for its citizens.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s members of the Amarillo Garden Club, including Kate Graham, Vera Hurlock, Stella Lokey, Dusty McGuire, and others began to dream about enhancing the beauty of the city and providing the knowledge to the citizenry of how to achieve this beauty. They dreamed of a central place to meet and teach, demonstrate techniques through the planting and maintenance of beautiful gardens, and to provide a library for gardening and gardening related books and periodicals. Botanical gardens and other garden centers in places like Ft. Worth, Lubbock, Albuquerque, and Cleveland were visited and studied to determine the requirements and create a model for such a center in Amarillo. As these gardening pioneers began to formulate their vision for Amarillo, they realized that the effort would require far more participation by others. Consequently, they launched a plan to encourage and assist in the formation of numerous garden clubs all over the city.

In 1954 because of their reputation for many city beautification projects over the years, the city granted a lease to the garden clubs for Shelter House, located in Memorial Park. It was to be used by the garden clubs and other groups supporting their mission. On March 1, 1955 the Amarillo Council of Garden Clubs (Council) was established and incorporated by the 13 garden clubs then in existence with the goal of creating a public garden center (the Amarillo Garden Center). On November 27, 1957 Council gained its tax exempt status.

Fund raising events like plant sales, flower sales, white elephant sales, and the like were held. In 1964 a large Christmas tree display was begun in a furniture warehouse that continued for many years as the largest of their ongoing fund raising events. By 1965 they had about $40,000 saved and obtained a lease from the city for land in the Medical Center Park to build an educational facility. The city was interested in assisting by providing the land since its use would be that of providing education and horticultural therapy for the public. The site was chosen because of its proximity to the new and expanding medical center of Amarillo. After a capital campaign raised the necessary money, ground was broken in 1967 to build the Amarillo Garden Center building. It was completed in April 1968 and was formally dedicated on November 17, 1968. It cost about $300,000.

Minimally staffed with one part-time paid secretary and a volunteer Director, Vera Deason, the Amarillo Garden Center began its programs and built its greenhouse and gardens utilizing volunteers. Its rental facilities were promoted as a source of income, again with volunteers performing tasks such as janitorial work. In 1978 Jane Meyers, a part-time employee for many years was asked to become a full-time paid Director. As the gardens developed and education was delivered to children and adults alike, the value as a therapeutic resource, while already known, became more obvious through the creation and use of a fragrance and tactile garden. Early recipients of the horticultural therapy programs were the blind, the Girl Scouts, and nursing home residents.

One of the dreams of the founders was that of building a separate facility to permit the expansion of horticultural therapy programs. In 1991 a grant was requested from the Amarillo Area Foundation to help facilitate this project. After study of the issue, the grant was denied with a recommendation that a business plan be created for the Garden Center. Studies and the first audit of the Garden Center were done, a new Executive Director, Jackie Wilson was hired in October 1992, and a strategic plan was subsequently put together. The new mission was �to become an educational center for horticulture, related sciences including conservation and the environment, and for the establishment and maintenance of botanical gardens. It is also to be a resource for horticultural therapy.� The purposes for the new organization were �to improve the quality of life for all; provide horticultural therapy for all; aid in the protection and conservation of the environment through education, public awareness, and encouragement to reduce solid waste and litter; educate the public in the growing and caring for plants through seminars, workshops, and programs and by maintaining a horticultural library; provide educational opportunities; encourage groups whose primary focus is horticulture; and provide and maintain botanical gardens and encourage the planting of trees.� The new direction for the Amarillo Garden Center was adopted by the board in January 1994.

In 1996 a community based board was created with the Council having an appointed seat on the board. On December 17, 1996 Restated Articles of Incorporation were executed renaming the Amarillo Garden Center the Amarillo Botanical Gardens. Plans were made to renovate and expand the building for better presentation and utilization into the future. The resulting renovation and addition of the gallery, new main entrance, and courtyard were completed in the summer of 2001. During this period the new board discussed the plan to build a greenhouse type of facility on additional land leased from the city. After study, the plan became that of building the Mary E. Bivins Tropical Conservatory.

In August 2003 ground was broken for the construction of the Mary E. Bivins Tropical Conservatory. This approximately 6,000 sq.ft. facility houses a tropical rain forest utilized for its beauty and entertainment value as well as its educational value. The conservatory construction was completed in June 2004 and work was begun on the rain forest exhibit (designed and installed by staff and others under their supervision). After the exhibit was constructed and it was planted with tropical plants, the conservatory was formally opened to the public in June 2006. During the construction of the rain forest exhibit, numerous garden areas were also designed and constructed on the property. These gardens are used as demonstration gardens for both education and enjoyment.