Annual Report 2020

ANNUAL REPORT 2020 A Celebration of Friendship at the Gardens

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.

WITH SINCERE THANKS

Dear Friends, A year ago, our lives were turned upside down as news of a novel coronavirus and its global impact quickly changed the way we interacted with our world and one another.

During this extraordinary time, which included the Gardens’ three-month closure by the City of Birmingham in light of public health recommendations, the Friends pivoted to fill operational needs, working hard behind the scenes to help the Park and Recreation Board care for the Gardens’ 67.5 acres, and to find creative new ways to fulfill our mission with safety top of mind.

Shared concern for the health and well-being of the Gardens community led the Friends to postpone or cancel a number of in-person programs and events, including our largest annual fundraisers of the year. But bolstered by your unwavering support and the passion and resourcefulness of our dedicated team, volunteers, and partners, we redoubled our efforts to protect, nurture, and share the wonders of this urban oasis.

Across the country, our need for gardens and green spaces has never been clearer. When many Americans chose to stay close to home last summer, locations that offer “sanctuary, refuge, and calming places to be” became visitors’ top destinations, according to the American Public Gardens Association.

Wally Evans Board Chair

Tom Underwood Executive Director

Because of your commitment over the past year, this beloved Gardens has served as a refuge for our community: a safe outdoor space where we can enjoy the beauty of the natural world and take heart in the inspiration and refreshment it offers. With your help, it has also been a year of accomplishment—we have completed much-needed drainage and irrigation improvements, established new plantings, and implemented sustainable gardening updates. We have also crafted an inspiring new vision for future enhancements at the Gardens.

Because of you, volunteers planted and harvested hundreds of pounds of fresh produce here to feed area residents in need; young people discovered the rewards of growing vegetables in a small urban community garden; we continue to grow the Gardens’ collection of rare and endangered plants that hold untold importance for research and education; and local schoolchildren whose field trips were canceled have had the chance to visit virtually.

Resilience is key, both in the Gardens and in our work here. We continue to reinvent ourselves—expanding our online offerings, reimagining our programs, building strategic new partnerships— to ensure that we remain relevant and focused on serving the Gardens and all whose lives we touch.

The pages ahead are truly a celebration of your commitment and Friendship. Thank you for joining with us to sustain this community treasure and all that it makes possible.

– WALLY & TOM LETTER

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Your support PROTECTS the wonders of the Gardens.

UPLIFTING VIEWS

Protective Life Boardwalk

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The Protective Life Boardwalk and education platform, part of phase two of the Japanese Garden’s bamboo grove boardwalk, were completed in January 2020. Extending from the Kasuga doro lantern on the north end of the Bamboo Grove to the spirit lantern at the grove’s southern tip, the 200-foot linear addition and 36-foot octagonal platform were constructed using a specially engineered, elevated support system. Prior to the project, the grove was closed for two months each spring to allow new bamboo shoots to mature. The improvements now give visitors the chance to experience the Bamboo Grove year-round while also protecting young bamboo.

These were made possible by generous gifts from Protective Life Corporation with additional funding from the CS Beatty Family Foundation in memory of Craig Shipley Beatty, Jr. PROTECT

GROWING

NEW VISION FOR

HEALTHIER GARDENS

THE GARDENS’ FUTURE

The Friends continued to work hard behind the scenes during the early months of the pandemic to care for garden spaces and tackle much-needed drainage and irrigation improvement projects.

To address soil compaction in the Ireland Old-Fashioned Rose Garden, existing turf was removed, new engineered soil (with sand, silt, clay and organic amendments) brought in, and additional drainage pipe and catch basins installed; ‘Meyer’ zoysia turf capped the project. A masonry catch basin with 6-inch drain pipe was installed to collect runoff from the Southern Living Garden culvert and tied into the new drainage system. In the Barber Alabama Woodlands, 375 feet of deteriorating iron pipe—the mainline for irrigation to the Japanese Garden—was replaced with corrosion-resistant PVC piping. The Little Ones Memory Garden received a new irrigation system with automatic irrigation clock to meet the seasonal needs of turf and plant materials in that newly redesigned space.

After completing our Master Plan Refresh with nationally recognized landscape architecture firm Terra Design Studios in May 2019, the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens moved into the next phase of design development: a Gardens Enhancement Plan. In this phase, the five areas that were identified as priorities for future expansion in the Master Plan Refresh moved into the conceptual phase of design as we worked in collaboration with our partners at Terra Design Studios and additional planning team members from Birmingham-based ArchitectureWorks and Schoel Engineering. In 2020, our planning team narrowed target areas to three top priorities and celebrated the completion of the final Enhancement Plan in August. The plan will serve as an important road map for future developments at Birmingham Botanical Gardens and will allow the Gardens to grow into the future with improvements to the visitor experience, increased capacity for community engagement, and added destinations for families and children.

SAFEGUARDING ALABAMA’S NATIVE PLANTS

Alabama’s native Boynton Oak

PROTECT

Committed to protecting rare and endangered plants that add to our state’s astounding biodiversity, the Friends was proud to join a national research study aiming to ensure a future for central Alabama’s rare, native Boynton oak. Over the next five years, the Friends will germinate and monitor the growth of a collection of 20 Boynton oaks at the Gardens to assess how these trees, now considered endemic to six counties in central Alabama, grow here. In November, the Friends also partnered with the Cahaba Riverkeeper and the Coosa Riverkeeper to plant young Cahaba lilies, also known as Shoals spider lilies, in Hatchet Creek, a waterway known for its populations of this rare Southern plant. This spring, the team will check on the new plants, which were grown from seed.

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IMPACTFUL INTERNSHIPS Each year, the Friends gives young people with a keen interest in gardening an opportunity to help with hands-on projects and educational initiatives while also exposing them to the world of public gardens. In 2020, interns tackled projects from curating the Gardens’ collection of Hexastylis, or heartleaf, species to tracking bloom times in the Kaul Wildflower Garden to testing the effects of incorporating a beneficial soil microbe called rhizobia in the Bruno Vegetable Garden. We are grateful to the Rotary Club of Shades Valley, our Junior Board, and the individuals who supported these meaningful opportunities, which open the door to possibilities of a career in public gardens, environmental education, and ecology.

Your support NURTURES the wonders of the Gardens.

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NURTURE

GROWING COLLECTIONS

CARING COMMUNITY Toward the end of the Gardens’ three-month closure by the City of Birmingham in the interest of public safety early in the pandemic, Friends volunteers were permitted to return to the Gardens in limited numbers. Following safety protocols as part of a phased process, volunteers helped City and Friends staff members care for garden spaces. The partnership of our volunteer teams has been invaluable during this challenging time, filling in for reductions in City staffing and contributing to time-sensitive tasks from planting and weeding to harvesting and winterizing. Still operating in phase one during spring 2021, we are grateful to our committed volunteers, including our dedicated on-site garden and growing groups and volunteer partners such as the Birmingham Fern Society and UAB Honors College, for their tremendous, ongoing dedication.

Thanks to a generous gift from Bill Barrick, recently retired Executive Director of Bellingrath Gardens and Home in Mobile, and his wife, Jessica, the Library at the Gardens now features a distinctive array of works that celebrate Southern gardens and gardening. Packed in bulb crates, the gift comprises 423 books from the Barricks’ private collection and includes special finds such as a copy of Texas Wildflowers signed by Lady Bird Johnson, former First Lady of the United States, and two horticultural encyclopedias penned by acclaimed botanist L.H. Bailey. Open for curbside service from June through December, the Library provided Friends members and local residents with a resource for more than 450 varieties of seeds—some of which come from the Gardens—through its free Seed Exchange.

The program, which added new seeds in 2020 thanks to a gift from Seed Savers Exchange, was created to highlight the value of seed saving and sharing to preserve and strengthen biodiversity.

CARVING OUT CONNECTIONS TO AN IMPORTANT PAST Each year, the Friends’ Native American Discovery Field Trip invites local schoolchildren to journey back in time as they learn about plants’ roles in the lives of the native people of Alabama. In 2020, we were honored to be able to continue the program’s decadeslong legacy of displaying replica structures and a dugout canoe hand-constructed by Eagle Scouts. When in-person classes were canceled last spring due to COVID-19, Carson Hughes of BSA Troop 83 adopted the Native American Area for his Eagle Scout Project, spending time each day hand-chipping a canoe made from an American sweetgum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua) as he experienced the legendary crafting process from start to finish.

He and fellow Scouts also constructed a new Summer Shelter and Drying Racks for the area by hand-tying cedar poles with square and tripod lashings.

NURTURE

A GREENER TOMORROW Birmingham Botanical Gardens was one of 28 public gardens nationwide to receive funding from the U.S. Botanic Garden and American Public Gardens Association in 2020 to help sustain urban agriculture and community food growing during the pandemic.

The award was part of the Urban Agriculture Resilience Program, which aims to promote resilience, grow capacity, prevent shortfalls, and gather best practices from established programs across the U.S. public gardens community. With help from our 2020 Rotary Club of Shades Valley intern, Katie Stahlhut, whose sustainable gardening work using soil-friendly bacteria supported a strong vegetable yield despite a late start to planting due to COVID-19, Friends volunteers harvested more than 2,000 pounds of fresh vegetables from the Bruno Vegetable Garden in 2020 to share with Birmingham-area residents in need through our Harvest for the Hungry initiative.

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Your support SHARES the wonders of the Gardens.

VIRTUAL VISITS, SOCIALLY DISTANT LEARNING

Japanese Garden Virtual Visit 6

In March 2020, when the Birmingham Park and Recreation Board made the decision to close the Gardens and all other Park and Recreation facilities in light of public health recommendations, we found ourselves, like so many organizations, postponing or canceling classes, events, and outreach just as people everywhere were craving connections to the outdoors and the springtime promise of the Gardens. Our small team pivoted quickly to begin sharing the Gardens through creative new digital communications and educational offerings, launching video series such as Virtual Visits, Around the Gardens, Kids Can Garden, Manion Moments, and At-Home Gardening and converting in-person workshops to online webinars. During 2020, our 50+ video projects enjoyed more than 55,000 views on Facebook and YouTube, and more than 1,100 people attended online classes.

SHARE

the garden dirt WINTER 2019–20

REACHING NEW AUDIENCES In our ongoing efforts to protect, nurture, and share the wonders of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, the Friends continually partners with organizations across our region to expand our impact and to bring the Gardens to those whose access may be limited. In 2020, through our participation in the Kingston Coalition, our team taught gardening skills to student participants in the D2B (Determined 2 Be) Mentor and Leadership Program as they helped care for raised beds at the Kingston Teaching Farm. We also held a virtual garden craft workshop for the Exchange Club Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Center of Birmingham as we worked together to connect the center’s clients with nature and to provide plant and gardening resources. In fall 2020, the Gardens was honored to welcome 88 local dancers for the filming of the 2020 Magic City Nutcracker, which featured favorite garden spaces and attracted 40,000 viewers.

INSPIRED SERVICE

Committed and hardworking,

our 2019 volunteer honorees lend hands, voices to cultivating features of the gardens they treasure

STORIES OF FRIENDSHIP FULL ISSUE.indd 1

12/5/19 3:30 PM

It is our privilege to celebrate the important strides we are making in education, outreach, garden stewardship, and conservation, all thanks to your support. In 2020, the Friends was honored to receive a prestigious Platinum Award in the Print Media—Newsletter category of the 2020 Hermes Creative Awards for the winter 2019 issue of The Garden Dirt, our quarterly publication. Administered by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals, the international contest recognizes creative work that serves as a benchmark in 200 print and digital categories. More than 6,000 submissions were received in the 2020 competition, one of the largest creative competitions in the world.

EMBRACING THE OUTDOORS The Gardens’ reopening on June 15 was a much anticipated and joyous occasion, and our team joined City staff in welcoming members, donors, and all of our visitors back to the Gardens to walk its paths, rediscover nature’s wonders, and experience the Gardens through our new self-guided audio tours of select garden spaces.

As local residents turned to the Gardens for comfort, we expanded our outdoor health and wellness classes to include small-group, socially distanced Yoga, T’ai Chi, and Mindful Meditation. Our Get Outside Activity Boxes, a summertime partnership with Little Professor Bookshop, offered young people a fun chance to explore the wonders of nature in their own backyards. In September, our community came together in a safe way to support the Friends and prepare for fall planting at our socially distanced Fall Plant Sale.

Held in the Formal Garden and Blount Plaza, the fundraiser featured plants selected especially for our region by the Friends’ dedicated growing groups.

SHARE

DIGITAL DISCOVERY As many Alabama schools chose to limit field trips and embrace online learning to slow the spread of COVID-19, the Friends expanded its educational toolkit in 2020 to bring our iconic, curriculum-based Discovery Field Trips and their companion storytimes into area classrooms virtually. Recorded on equipment funded through a grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham and made possible by the continued commitment of the Junior League of Birmingham, whose “Can You Dig It?” service track has supported the Friends’ flagship education program for 20 years, our virtual field trips allowed the Gardens’ scholastic reach to extend far beyond its grounds during a time when many students could not visit in person.

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2020 Financial Report 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. Together, the City and Friends work side by side to fulfill the Gardens’ mission. Funding from the City covers many of the Gardens’ core, day-to-day operating expenses. Thanks to your generous support, the Friends is uniquely positioned to offer a broad range of programs that inform, inspire, and enrich our community.

Your contributions also enable the Friends to play a critical role in supplementing the Gardens’ operational needs and ensuring the ongoing stewardship and enhancement of this beloved community treasure.

Operating Revenue $2,351,486

9% Other

18% Events

1% Education

64% Contributions & Endowment

Operating Expenses $2,116,288

16% General & Administration

34% Gardens & Garden Projects

11% Development

Memberships 8%

Events 9%

Membership, Communications & Marketing 10%

Education & Community Engagement 20%

Source: Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens actual, unaudited financial statements for the 12 months January through December 2020. Operating revenue does not include investment activity and reflects several generous donor-designated gifts with multiyear impact.

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FINANCIALS

2020 Donors, Sponsors & Members Since 1962, Birmingham Botanical Gardens has served as a cherished place of respite, a meaningful connection to nature, and a vibrant source of plant, gardening, wellness, and environmental education thanks to your ongoing commitment to this invaluable community resource. We extend our sincere gratitude to all who support our mission through donations, event sponsorships, memberships, honorary and memorial tributes, planned giving, and gifts to specific programs. Thank you for helping us grow a greener tomorrow.

While space limitations do not allow us to honor all donors by name, we would like to express special thanks to the following donors, corporate sponsors, and philanthropic members who supported the Friends with cumulative gifts of $500 and above between January and December 2020.

DONORS Garden Benefactors ($2,500 and above)

Alabama Power Foundation, Inc. The Ann & Angelo Bruno Foundation Cindy & Brian Barr Mr. & Mrs. Craig S. Beatty, Sr. Mr. & Mrs. Nick Bouler Brasfield & Gorrie The Butcher Fund Mr. & Mrs. John E. Butcher Camille Butrus C. Eugene Ireland Foundation C.S. Beatty Construction, Inc. City of Mountain Brook Mr. Gregg Clark Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham D. Joseph & Ida C. Burns Designated Fund Mr. & Mrs. Bob de Buys Marilyn & Jim Dixon Mr. Brenen C. Ely Mr. & Mrs. Stanley M. Erdreich, Jr. Dr. Glenn T. Eskew Wally & Janie Evans Mr. & Mrs. Christopher T. Fennell Pam & John Floyd The Forman Foundation Fravert Services, Inc. Mary & Jamie French Mr. & Mrs. T. Michael Goodrich Helen & Chris Harmon Hill Crest Foundation, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. William C. Holden The Hugh Kaul Foundation Independent Presbyterian Church Foundation The James Milton & Sallie R. Johnson Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Carl E. Jones, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. D. Paul Jones, Jr. Leaf & Petal Terri & John Lyon Mr. & Mrs. Cliff Martin Mike & Gillian Goodrich Foundation

DONORS, SPONSORS & MEMBERS

Tricia & Andy Noble Mrs. John W. Poynor Protective Life Corporation Publix Super Markets Charities, Inc. Regions Financial Corporation Mrs. Janet W. Rooney Rucker & Margaret Agee Fund Shades Valley Rotary Club Nancy & Murray Smith Dr. & Mrs. Weily Soong Mr. & Mrs. Joseph C. South III Southern Progress Corporation Ryan & Erica Speegle The Sperling Family Charitable Foundation Mr. Carlos S. Staples, Jr. Strain Foundation Susan Mott Webb Charitable Trust U.S. Botanic Garden / APGA Urban Agriculture Resilience Program Mr. & Mrs. Fred H. von Herrmann Vulcan Materials Company Dr. & Mrs. Tyler Wahl Walker Area Community Foundation Mr. & Mrs. James Wright Anonymous

Boxwood ($1,000–$2,499)

Mr. Harold Abroms Mr. & Mrs. Thomas J. Adams, Jr. Mr. Edmund R. Agee, Jr. Susan & James Alison Alabama Humanities Foundation Altec, Inc. Sandy & Ted Berglund Mr. & Mrs. Uday R. Bhate Jane & Harold Bissell Mindy & Dylan Black Mr. & Mrs. William A. Bowron, Jr. Ms. Elna R. Brendel Mr. & Mrs. Robert S. Briggs Alleen Cater & Lyle Hohnke Mr. & Mrs. Charles T. Clayton, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Mitchell Cooper

Cameron & Derrill Crowe Mr. & Mrs. W.F. Denson III James & Wendy Evesque Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Flowers Lady Jane & Yancey Gillespie Jane & Harold Goings Goodrich Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Charles Goodrich Mr. & Mrs. William W. Goodrich Grapevine Garden Club Leah & Robby Hazzard Mr. & Mrs. Dale C. Hill Mr. & Mrs. Douglas I. Hoffman Mr. & Mrs. Clark Huddle Mr. & Mrs. William C. Hulsey Jemison Investment Company, Inc. Mrs. Crawford T. Johnson III Mr. & Mrs. James Milton Johnson Sarah R. Johnston Mr. & Mrs. Dick Jones Ann & Charles Katholi Leo Kayser III Mr. & Mrs. Sam Knowlton Dr. Karen J. Larsen Sue Ellen & Mike Lucas Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Mason Lucy & William McCown Kaye McWane-Rosse & Mark Rosse Mr. & Mrs. Andrew J. Meehan Parrot Structural Services, LLC Steve & Mary Phillips Mrs. Minnie H. Rast The Riser Family Fund Drs. Emily & John Riser Susan & Dowd Ritter Mr. & Mrs. Mark Robertson Mr. & Mrs. Bruce F. Rogers Kathleen & David Roth Mr. & Mrs. Stan Roth Ruby S. & John P. Ansley Fund Paula & Mike Rushing Mr. & Mrs. Allen D. Rushton Diana & Bill Slaughter

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(Donors continued) Mr. & Mrs. John W. Smith T Mr. & Mrs. Marvin Snyder Dr. & Mrs. J. Stephen Spann Star Cattle Co. LLC Mr. Arnold L. Steiner Mr. Douglas A. Stockham Target Circle Mr. & Mrs. Hall Thompson, Jr. Tom & Jane Underwood Virginia Stockham Ladd Family Foundation Mrs. A. Brand Walton Ms. Jane S. Webb Mr. Claude C. White & Ms. Sallie S. Aman Sally V. Worthen Louise & John Wrinkle Anonymous

Annual Fund Donors ($500–$999)

Mrs. John F. Abele Mr. & Mrs. Otello A. Alessio Mr. & Mrs. A. Jack Allison, Jr. Dr. & Mrs. Tommy G. Amason, Jr. Betty & Walt Anderson Ann Griffith Ash Mr. & Mrs. William C. Barclift III Mr. & Mrs. Paul Beasley Dr. & Mrs. William H. Benjamin, Jr. Ms. Robin Bienvenu Mr. John Bingham & Ms. Tammy Bradley Dr. James R. Bonner & Dr. Coralie S. Hains Mena & John Brock Mr. & Mrs. Ryan Burgess Sherri & Rick Burgess Pat & Ben Carroll Mr. & Mrs. Jack Cobb Mr. & Mrs. Robert M. Cobb Mr. & Mrs. Scott J. Cole Ms. Susan C. Colvin Mr. & Mrs. Douglas E. Cooper Mr. John J. Cowin, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. C. Coleman Daniel II DeBardeleben Foundation Dr. Arnold G. Diethelm Mr. & Mrs. Christopher DiGiorgio Mr. & Mrs. R. Bruce Donnellan Elizabeth Drewry Mr. & Mrs. Virgil R. Edwards Mr. & Mrs. Ronald E. Elliott Trudy R. Evans Kit & Mac Fairley Dr. & Mrs. Winfield S. Fisher III Mr. & Mrs. Kevin T. Forsyth Norm Geisinger Mr. & Mrs. Clarke H. Gillespy Dr. William Gooding & Dr. Ashley Gooding Dr. Jayleen M. Grams Ms. Patti J. Hammond Mr. & Mrs. Edward L. Hardin, Jr.

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Penney & Roger Hartline Mr. & Mrs. James Hill Mrs. Ellen H. Holladay Mr. & Mrs. William P. Horton Mr. & Mrs. Gary L. Howard Margi Ingram Ingram & Associates, Inc. Dr. Susan Jackson Mr. & Mrs. C. Rick Johanson John H. Lanier Company, Inc. Junior League of Birmingham Ms. Lucy H. Kennedy Ms. Kay Kinnear Landscape Services, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Luther B. Lanier Ms. Sallie M. Lee Shelley & Frank Lindstrom Susan & Tom Lowder Stephanie & Wade Lynton Marsha & John Markus Melinda & Bill Mathews Mr. & Mrs. Mark S. McColl Carol A. McCoy Amy & Lee McLemore RADM. & Mrs. John T. Natter Kate & Claude Nielsen Oak Street Garden Shop Mr. & Mrs. Jay Pigford Mr. & Mrs. James M. Price Sarah & Gene Price Redmont Distilling Co. Mr. & Mrs. Jack R. Reed, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Marshall Rivers Lindsay & Andy Robison Jeanne & Mabry Rogers Katherine & Stephen Rostand Royal Cup, Inc. Francis & Margaret Rushton Dr. Susan P. Salter & Mr. Steven C. Hydinger Mr. & Mrs. Steve Schoeneman Jane & Jack Shalhoop Melissa & Hanson Slaughter Mr. & Mrs. William E. Smith, Jr. Elizabeth & John Steiner Dr. & Mrs. Larry G. Stephens Mr. & Mrs. Frank Stitt Evelyn & Gene Stutts Mr. & Mrs. Lee J. Styslinger III Mr. Bill Tevendale Susan & Hugh Thomas Lucy Thompson Mr. & Mrs. Tommy Thornton Norma & Ray Thweatt Mr. Tinsley Van Durand Mr. & Mrs. J. Scott Vowell Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Wagoner Ms. Marion F. Walker & Ms. Melinda Splawn Howard Walthall & Rosemary Fisk

Mrs. Margaret F. Wendorf Mr. & Mrs. C. Lawrence Whatley John & Debby Whittington Mr. Richard Wood & Ms. Wendi M. Brown Mr. & Mrs. Melvin M. Zivitz Anonymous Special thanks to the City of Birmingham and Birmingham Park & Recreation Board

BIRMINGHAM BLOOMS Chair

Beverley Hoyt

Honoree

Dr. John Alex Floyd, Jr.

Presenting Sponsor

IBERIABANK (A Division of First Horizon)

Booksigning Sponsor Red Diamond, Inc.

Platinum Sponsors

Alabama Power Company Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Alabama/ The Caring Foundation Cameron & Derrill Crowe Regions Bank The Thomas E. Jernigan Foundation

“I HAVE GROWN UP WITH FOND MEMORIES ENJOYING THE GARDENS: WALKS WITH MY GRANDMOTHER, PORTRAIT PHOTOS IN THE JAPANESE GARDEN, HOSTING MY BRIDESMAIDS’ LUNCHEON AND MANY OTHER EVENTS IN BETWEEN. IT IS A TRUE JOY NOW TO EXPERIENCE THE GARDENS THROUGH THE EYES OF MY CHILDREN; THEY LOVE THE SUMMER CAMPS AND WEEKEND STROLLS TO EXPLORE AND REST IN THE BEAUTY OF NATURE. WE ARE HONORED TO SUPPORT THE GARDENS BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE WAYS IT GIVES BACK TO BIRMINGHAM AND TO OUR FAMILY.” —BROOKE & TYLER WAHL

DONORS, SPONSORS & MEMBERS

We are grateful to the dedicated individuals and corporate sponsors who supported our mission through gifts to Birmingham Blooms, a private, sunset picnic supper held on Sunday, October 4, in the Dunn Formal Rose Garden and Hill Garden. This festive outdoor event, which was organized by former Board Chair Beverley Hoyt and her dedicated committee and which incorporated face masks, social distancing, and other COVID-19 safety protocols, honored Director Emeritus and former Southern Living Editor in Chief Dr. John A. Floyd, Jr., a longtime supporter, volunteer, and advocate for the Gardens. Special guests James Farmer and Mark D. Sikes signed copies of their latest books and enjoyed the beautiful, cool fall evening. Our sincere thanks to presenting sponsor IBERIABANK (A Division of First Horizon), lead corporate sponsors Red Diamond, Inc., and Alabama Power Company, Inc., and all who gave for your generous support. Because of you, Birmingham Blooms.

Gold Sponsors

Dunn-French Foundation Medical Properties Trust, Inc. Protective Life Insurance Company

Silver Sponsors

Altec Industries, Inc. Bradley, Arant, Boult, Cummings LLP Brasfield & Gorrie Burr & Forman LLP EBSCO Industries, Inc. Pam & John Floyd Mary & Jamie French Penny & Mike Fuller Anna McWane Heather & Phillip McWane Kaye McWane-Rosse & Mark Rosse 1919 Investment Counsel Paula & Mike Rushing Warren Averett Louise A. Wrinkle

Bronze Sponsors

Alabama Aquarium & Pond Services

DONORS, SPONSORS & MEMBERS

Birmingham Coca-Cola Bottling Co. UNITED Molly & John Carter Anna & Jim Cooper Kathryn & Doug Eckert Beverley & Chris Hoyt Katie & Jim Lasker Life Insurance Company of Alabama NelBran Glass Tricia & Andy Noble Penny & Ruffner Page Mrs. John W. Poynor Kim & Bruce Rogers ServisFirst Bank Mr. & Mrs. Scott Vowell

Director Sponsors Beth & Scott Adams Cindy & Brian Barr Dr. & Mrs. Bill Barrick Jane & Harold Bissell Camille Butrus Ragan & Brad Cain Chalker Group Debbie & D.C. Coston

Carnetta & Norm Davis Sarah & Charley Duggan Janie & Wally Evans Kirk & Tate Forrester Jane & Harold Goings Julie & Jim Goyer Joy & Beau Grenier Penney & Roger Hartline Leigh & Will Haver Walker & Bill Jones Junior League of Birmingham Leo Kayser Joy & Price Kloess Shannon & Jeff Lisenby Luckie & Company Terri & John Lyon Rick & Barrett Brock MacKay Kim & George Matthews June & Joe Mays Cindy & Tim Morrison New Capital Partners Jean & John Oliver Sandra & Jerry Parker Carol P. Poynor

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(Birmingham Blooms continued) Margot & Gates Shaw Shoal Creek Properties / Thompson Realty Company Inc. Melissa & Hanson Slaughter Mr. & Mrs. J.T. Stephens Doug Stockham Mr. & Mrs. Ingram D. Tynes Jane & Tom Underwood Katy Moss Warner Anonymous

Patron Sponsors

Melinda & Ed Aldag ALKMY Mindy & Dylan Black Cindy & Tom Bowron Maggie & Will Brooke Dr. & Mrs. Lee C. Carter Bronwyne & John F. Chapman Douglas C. Davis & Associates Mary Hayward & Kyle Eudailey Dot Fletcher Norm Geisinger Alison & Jim Gorrie Beth & Edward Hobbs Kelli & Norman Jetmundsen Janie & Jemison Jones Stewart & Crawford Jones Ann & Charles Katholi Becky & Greg Keyes Sheryl & Jon Kimerling Cornelia & Joe LaRussa Lynn & Benny LaRussa Janet & Matt Lusco Stephanie & Wade Lynton Mary Lauren & Bart McBride Catherine & Emmett McLean Drue & John Miller Nall Whatley Foundation O’Neal Industries Marian & Steve Phillips Mr. & Mrs. Charles L. Robinson, Jr. Dr. & Mrs. David H. Sibley Diana & Bill Slaughter Donna & Julian Smith Arnold Steiner, Michael & Kimberly Steiner Mr. & Mrs. Jesse R. Taylor III Margaret Wendorf

PERENNIAL LEGACY GIVING CIRCLE Recognizing those who have made or pledged a planned gift Mr.* & Mrs. Edgar G. Aldridge Mr. & Mrs. Michael Balliet

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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* 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*

TEE’D UP

Last fall, the Friends’ Junior Board partnered with Yellowhammer Creative (YHC) to offer a limited-edition BBG T-shirt as part of the YHC Local Series. Proceeds benefited the Friends’ Native Plant Internship program.

Mrs. Ann H. “Nancy” Warren* Mrs. Robert Wells Anonymous (2) *Deceased

LIFETIME MEMBERS Mary & Samuel Blount Dell & F. Dixon Brooke Mrs. Derry Bunting Mr. Thomas N. Carruthers Mrs. Mary Caroline Cleveland Ann & James Cox Isabelle & Paul Dreher Ms. Beverly M. Perrine Carolyn & William Satterfield Mrs. Frances Shepherd Virginia & Robert Shepherd Lucy & Temple Tutwiler Mr. Norman T. Williams

NEW & RENEWING MEMBERS Ambassadors

Leigh & Jack Allison Yates & Thomas Amason Lindsey & William Barclift Sarah & D. Paul Beasley Sarah & William Benjamin Robin Bienvenu John Bingham & Tammy Bradley

DONORS, SPONSORS & MEMBERS

Mindy & Dylan Black James Bonner & Coralie Hains Connie & Cecil Bostany Mena & John Brock Katherine & Ryan Burgess Patricia & Benjamin Carroll Carole & Jack Cobb Mary & Robert Cobb John Cowin Deborah & William Denson Arnold G. Diethelm Elizabeth (Betsy) & Christopher DiGiorgio Kay & R. Bruce Donnellan Trudy Evans Diane & Winfield Fisher Sandie & Kevin Forsyth Pat & Clarke Gillespy Ashley & William Gooding Jayleen Grams Patti J. Hammond Patricia & James Hill Ellen Holladay Maura & William Horton Jane & Gary Howard Susan Jackson Lucy H. Kennedy B. Kay Kinnear Barbara & Luther B. Lanier Sallie M. Lee Susan & Thomas Lowder Stephanie & C. Wade Lynton Melinda & Bill Mathews Margaret & Mark McColl Amy & Lee McLemore Kate & Claude Nielsen Courtney & Richard (Jay) Pigford Sarah & Gene Price Lindsay & Andrew Robison Katherine & Stephen Rostand Varina & Allen Rushton Margaret & Francis Rushton Susan Salter & Steven Hydinger Debbie & Steve Schoeneman Jane & M. Jack Shalhoop Melissa & Hanson Slaughter Lauri & Weily Soong Elizabeth & John Steiner Pardis & Frank Stitt Kelly & Lee Styslinger Susan & Hugh Thomas Lucille R. Thompson Wendy & Tommy Thornton Cameron & J. Scott Vowell Jennifer & Kevin Wagoner Margaret Wendorf Grace & C. Lawrence Whatley Deborah & John Whittington Richard Wood & Wendi Brown

DONORS, SPONSORS & MEMBERS

Melissa & Melvin Zivitz Anonymous

Supporters

Virginia & James Abele Diane & Otello Alessio Olivia E. Alison Elizabeth & Michael Alosi Deborah & Darrel Arnold Julia (Jan) & Dean Assimos Jean & Carl Bailey Bonnie & William C. Bailey Philippa & Frank Bainbridge Peggy & Michael Balliet Gail Barber Virginia & Morris Benners Sandra & Henry Berglund Jane & Charles Boswell Jean & Nick Bouler Cissy & Richard J. Brockman Sharon & Edward Bromberg Lella C. Bromberg Sharon Brown Kathryn & Francis Buchan Barbara & Charles Bugg Mary & Walter Carr LaRue & Paul Carter Chenbei Chang Sanjiv Chatterji K. Susan Cleage Sheri & Brian Coffee Mayte M. Coghlan Hope & Leon M. Cooper Gail & Thomas Cosby Martha Council Rebecca H. Crum Ellen & Russell Cunningham Anne & Bruce Cusic Vicki S. Daniels Carnetta & Norman Davis Frances & Ogden Deaton Ann & William Dodson Mary Ann & Robert Doody Lori & Stephen Dorsky Patricia D. Dreher Carolyn P. Drennen Martha & Marc Eason Cynthia & Virgil Edwards Shirley & George Elliott Katherine (Kit) & Arthur (Mac) Fairley Belle & Frank Farish Liesel & William French Norman Geisinger Mary Jane & Winston Gillum Alice & Paul Goepfert Morton Goldfarb Stella K. Grenier

Lila & Edward Hardin Nancy & Richard Harley Cathy & Jimmie Harvey Carey & William Hinds Cynthia Holmes & Jeffrey Barnes Henry Hughes & Lois Woodward Dan Hutchson Jeanne Jackson & V. Mark Lester Kelli & Norman Jetmundsen Theresa & Charles Johanson Jessica & W. Benjamin Johnson Diana & Stephen Jones Ann & Charles Katholi Maria & John Kearney Enid & Kent Keyser Jane & William T. Killian Sabrina King Frances & Wade Lamberth Dorothy & Raymond Lee Edward R. Levin Barrett & Rick MacKay Allison & Duncan Manley Marsha & John Markus Cecilia C. Matthews Anne Maura & Dottie McCoy Pauline & Richard Mayne Laura & Allen McCain Emily & Willard McCall Dahlia & Christopher McKinney Pam & Don McNutt Ellen & Hobart McWhorter Anne & Ira Mitchell Kathy & Michael Mouron Dona & John Musgrave Sharon & Harry Nelson Don Newton Jean & John Oliver Virginia C. Patterson Dana Pigford Daina & Randy Pittman Gail & Robert Pless Blair & Alexander Reynolds Margaret E. Rhoads Gabrielle & Brandon Rocque Jane & Neil Ross Judith & Charles Russell Merle Salter Katie & Woodson Sellers A. Berkley Smith Garland & Lathrop Smith Anne W. Smith Gail & Marvin Snyder Jennifer & Kenneth Sobaski William Sockwell & Deborah Long Mike Soike & Madeline Eckenrode Latricia & Larry Spangler Sylvia & Alfred Stanley Melissa & Luther Strange

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(New & Renewing Members continued) Mary & C. James Sullivan Carol Sutfin Dorothy J. Tayloe Janet & Jarred Taylor Ann & David Tharpe Norma & Ray Thweatt Jack W. Trigg Katherine & Robert Tullis Dawn & Ingram Tynes Anna & Jesse Unkenholz SuAnn & Russell Vandevelde Marion Walker & Melinda Splawn Kim & Peter Weinheimer Mary Kay Wilson Alan K. Zeigler Dorothy & John Ziegler Anonymous

Contributors

Barbara & Frank Adkins Melinda Adkins & Mark Hughes Laurie M. Allen Anna Altz-Stamm Sallie Aman & Claude White Courtney & William R. Andrews Suzanne & Curtis Anthony Linda Arnold Ann G. Ash Rhonda & James Aust Katherine & Grady Avant Jackson B. Bailey Meredith & Matthew Balaun Nancy & John Beeler Darwin Bell & Sandra Gilley Irene (Renee) Blalock Lynn & Stephen Bostock Joan & William Bowen Katherine & Thomas Brinkley Bertice & Edwin Brown Connie & C. Michael Buchanan Gayle & Michael Byrne Ann & Harold Cannon Margaret (Betsy) Canterbury Kirke & Howard Cater Ann & Russell Chambliss Vickie & Jerry Chandler Angela Chastain Faye & William Clark Jennifer & John Clark Kathy & Andy Coats Donna & Scott Cole Jennafer Collins Martha & Alton Comans Judy & James Cook Patricia Cosgrove Lucile & James P. Cowin Elisabeth & Thomas Cox

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Jacqueline & Robert Craddock Paula & Francis Crockard Sue & Richard Cybulsky Wanda & Gerald Dake Catherine F. Danielou Rebecca & Larry Davenport Mary & James Davis Lyn & Richard Davis Martha & John DeBuys Dawn DeFrank Torrey & D. Armand DeKeyser Carolyn & James Delk Elizabeth & Allan Dobbins Susan C. Dominick Margaret & Richard Dorman JoAnne & Luther (Rusty) Dorr Stephanie & Russell Douglas Alice & Liam Doyle Elizabeth Drewry William D. Drinkard Evelyn & John Dunbar Lynn Dunn & Burma Dunn Wanda Elkourie Ann & John Elliott Nancy & Barton Fisk Jackie & Robert Fitts Margaret L. Fleenor Sherrie & R. Craig Fleming Loren & David Franco Cindy & Craig Fravert Lois Gaeta Robin & Nicolaas Geurs Patricia & Carey Gilbert Barbara & Robert Glaze Elizabeth Goettge James Gordy Mallory C. Gray Mary Rose Gray Susan Gray Catherine & John Michael Grisetti Linda Grissom Gerrie & William Hansford Donna & Horace Hanson Mary & Victor Hanson Barbara & Robin Harbin Yvonne J. Hardy Carolyn Hartman Ann Harvey & Thomas Schultz Susan & Wyatt Haskell Josh Haynes Sarah Hays Harriet & James Heacock Beth & Ronald Henderson Janice & Donald Hendry Kelly & John Higgins Jane B. Hodges Elizabeth C. Hoffman Susan & William Holden

Richard Holland Linda & William Holman Heidi & Ira Holt Suzanne & Jim Hoye Janice & James Hughey Deb & Robert Hulse Manda & J. Terry Humber Margi Ingram Carolyn & Jerry Jackson Lynn B. Jackson Gary D. Jacobs Kimberlee & Robert Jernigan Jenelle & Dewey Jones Esta & Jim Kamplain Elaine Kassouf Karen & Michael Keel Annette & Ralph Keiser Mary & David Kimerling Sandra & Dennis Kisiel Daniel Kyle Melinda & William Lalor Ethelwyn Langston Sandra G. Lawler Mickie & Charles Leesburg Gayle Leitman Benta & Jack Lemons Jane & Wayne Lewis Shelley & Frank Lindstrom Vera H. Lister Virginia & Henry Long Verna & John Lyons Lexa Magnus & Jonathan Waddell Nancy & Thomas Majors Elizabeth B. Marbury Catherine Masingill Nicole & F. Stanford Massie Judy & Bruce Matthews Kay & Philip McArdle Sarah McClure & Tara Hullen Carol McCoy C. Dorothy McDaniel Emily & Travis McGowin Mary Evelyn & David McKee Catherine & Emmett McLean Louise & Frank McPhillips Carol & James Melton Jane & Donald Menendez Elizabeth & David Middlebrooks Alabama & James Mills Karen C. Mitchell Ann & Richard Monk Brandee & Fred Moore Heidi & Leonard Mueninghoff Hugh Mulholland Charlotte S. Murdock Susan & Alexander Nading Sue Newton Lynne & Joseph Nicholson

DONORS, SPONSORS & MEMBERS

Susan & Robert Norman Sandra & Lawrence Oden Elizabeth (Libby) O’Donnell Rachel & Allen Oser Jennifer Parent & David Antrobus Katherine & James Park Phella & W. Guy Patterson Jennifer & Robbin Phillips Lani & Thomas Powell Linda & William Prewitt Goode Price Nancy C. Price Linda & Roger Rader Firoz Rahemtulla Gloria A. Randolph Virginia Randolph Carolyn B. Reed Theresa & J. Michael Reed Elberta G. Reid M. Suzanne Respess Sandra & Arnold Richmond Laura Susan & Thomas Roberts Virginia & Adam Robertson Katherine & O. Gordon* Robinson Jeanne & E. Mabry Rogers Starr C. Rogers Rebecca & Douglas Rollins Kathleen & E. Allan Rowe Liz Rozzelle Loring W. Rue Sally & Carl Sanders Mary Ben Savage Trautman Margaret & Howard Schiele Virginia Scruggs & Sarah Olson Joyce & Arthur Serwitz Nancy & Lewis Shannon Katherine & James Shepherd Lanette Sherrill & Byron Boggan Deborah Shevin Sandra & Gene Siegal Jacqueline Crow Siegelman Chase & William Silsbee James E. Simon Sandra S. Simpson Dinah & Stephen Sisson Caroline Smith Virginia & David Smith Lydia Cheney & James Sokol Nancy & Neal Spangler Patricia & Richard Sprague Joan & Stancil (Stan) Starnes Mary Frances Stayton Kimberly & David Stearns Kimberly & Michael Steiner Rose H. Steiner Arthur Stephens Mary & David Stewart Mary Stockard

DONORS, SPONSORS & MEMBERS

Linda & Jeff Stone Evelyn & Eugene Stutts Patricia & Michael Tate Donna & Eugene Taylor Dorothy Thomas Mary Alice & William Thurman John LeMunyon & Kathleen Tremblay Elizabeth & Bayard S. Tynes Constance & Marshall Urist Linda Vernon & Peter Walsh Despina Vodantis Darlene & James Walker Ann & Kennon Walthall Rosemary Fisk & Howard Walthall Mary & Charles Watkins Frances & George Wheelock Lucile White Marjorie Lee White Marjorie Longenecker White Holly Whitmire Carvetta & Anderson Williams Amy & Christopher Williams Bitsy & James Williams Sandra & William Wolf Elizabeth & Ronald Wolff Michelle & Seth Wolnek Joy & Roger Wood Angela & Philip Young Anonymous (3)

Girl Scouts of North Central Alabama GreenWorks Design/Build The Japan-America Society of Alabama Jefferson County Commission Jefferson County Conservation District Jefferson County Department of Health Jefferson County Master Gardener Association Junior League of Birmingham Leaf & Petal at the Gardens The Literacy Council of Central Alabama Little Professor Bookshop RoseGolden by Holly Carlisle University of Montevallo Westall Landscape Design WBRC Fox6

Education Volunteers

Brasfield & Gorrie Edgewood Garden Club Jefferson County Master Gardener Association Junior League of Birmingham

Library Supporters

EDUCATION, LIBRARY, MEMBER & VOLUNTEER PARTNERS

Birmingham Museum of Art Birmingham Park & Recreation Board City of Birmingham Homewood Public Library Hoover Public Library Jefferson County Master Gardener Association Oak Street Garden Shop Public Libraries in Jefferson County Redmont Neighborhood Association Paula & Mike Rushing

Education Partners

Volunteer Partners

Alabama Clean Water Partnership Alabama Cooperative Extension System Alabama Environmental Council Alabama Green Industry Training Center American Public Gardens Association Birmingham City Schools Birmingham Fern Society Birmingham Museum of Art Birmingham Park & Recreation Board Birmingham Rose Society Birmingham Zoo Botanica Boy Scouts of America Troop 83 Bud’s Best Cookies City of Bessemer Stormwater Management City of Birmingham Stormwater Management City of Leeds City of Mountain Brook Collaborative Environmental Network of Alabama Dorothy McDaniel’s Flower Market Environmental Education Association of Alabama Forge Breast Cancer Survivor Center

Alabama Bonsai Society Alabama Orchid Society Alabama Rhododendron Society Alabama Wildflower Society Alabama Wildflower Society, Blanche Dean Chapter America’s First Federal Credit Union BBVA Compass Birmingham Camellia Society Birmingham Daylily Society Birmingham Fern Society Birmingham Rose Society Brasfield & Gorrie Central Alabama Daylily Society Central Alabama Koi & Water Garden Society Circle K International Cumberland Law School Edgewood Garden Club FBI Perennial Group Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens Plant Groups Indian Springs School Japanese Garden Society of Alabama

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(Education, Library, Member & Volunteer Partners continued) Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School Jefferson County Master Gardener Association Junior League of Birmingham (Corps of Volunteers) Mountain Brook High School Protective Life Corporation Samford University Spire, Inc. Top Golf United Way Hands On University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB Honors College UAB Pathfinders UAB School of Medicine UAB Serve205 Verizon Wireless

Member Partner Nurseries, Garden Centers & Flower Shops Botanica Dorothy McDaniel’s Flower Market Leaf & Petal at the Gardens Myers Plants & Pottery Petals from the Past SHOPPE: Birmingham Sweet Peas Garden Shop

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

OARD O

2020 Board of Directors John Smith T Beverley Hoyt Wally Evans Emily Bowron D.C. Coston

Peyton King Chris Boles Bill Ireland Cathy Adams Lee McLemore

Chair Immediate Past Chair Treasurer Secretary Chair of Communications & Marketing Chair of Development Chair of Education Chair of Governance Chair of Government Relations Chair of Operations

Members at Large Brian Barr Craig Beatty Uday Bhate Sharon Brown Stephanie Cooper Norm Davis Bob de Buys Wendy Evesque Kirk Forrester Helen Harmon

Chris Hastings Janet Kavinoky Natalie Kelly Caroline Little John Miller Blevins Naff Tiffany Osborne Jim Pickle Sharon Sherrod

Director Emeritus John Alex Floyd, Jr.

While every effort has been made to acknowledge our major donors, corporate sponsors, and philanthropic members during January 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020, S please accept our apologies if your name was inadvertently omitted. Call us at 205.414.3950 with any questions or concerns. Thank you for your support.

SPRING PLANT SALE, REIMAGINED

While the 2020 Spring Plant Sale—the Friends’ largest plant sale fundraiser—could not take place due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Birmingham community still found a way to support the Friends’ mission and help us grow a greener tomorrow. Retail partner Leaf & Petal made available its Deal Depot location as a venue for selling many of the plants already cultivated for the sale by our Herb Army and Perennial and Native growing groups and then gave back 100 percent of the profits to benefit the Friends’ mission. In addition, the Friends’ Junior Board hosted a presale of lavender and rosemary to support the Friends’ Kaul Wildflower Garden Native Plant Internship program, and the Native growing group organized presales that sold more than 1,800 plants. These efforts, which raised more than $30,000, reflect the genuine commitment of our retail partners, volunteers, and community members both to this signature springtime event and to our mission as we come together, even during challenging times, to protect, nurture, and share the wonders of Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

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DONORS, SPONSORS & MEMBERS

“IF YOU HAVE A GARDEN AND A LIBRARY, YOU HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED.” — Marcus Tullius Cicero

BBGARDENS.ORG 2612 Lane Park Road • Birmingham, Alabama • 35223