Yesterday I had the honor and pleasure of taking a tour through Selby Gardens with our Trustee Emeritus and former chairman, Dr. Carlyle Luer and the Gardens’ first executive director, Dr. Calaway Dodson.
I can’t tell you how amazing it was to spend time with these two brilliant men who charted the course for Selby Gardens more than 40 years ago. It was a privilege to show them how we are caring for the Gardens’ future.
Carl’s wife, Jane, and son, George, as well as Cal’s wife, Piedad, joined us as our horticulture and botany staff guided everyone first through the Ann Goldstein Children’s Rainforest Garden, where some of our youngest visitors were enjoying the recent enhancements to this dynamic feature. Following a ride around the grounds, we made our way to the Conservatory. We enjoyed seeing the rock wall in the Tropical Conservatory that was built by Carl in 1974, and which is the permanent home to some of the most iconic plants in our collection. Also on hand was a Tillandsia dodsonii (Dodson’t tillandsia) that was named for Cal’s father. The tour wasn’t complete without a visit to the Selby House, where Cal and Piedad lived when the Gardens was first being established. They very much enjoyed seeing our new exhibit dedicated to Marie Selby.
On behalf of everyone at Selby Gardens, we are grateful for the contributions of these men in creating the foundation for what our beloved organization is today. You can read more about the important history of Selby Gardens in your latest issue of the Tropical Dispatch. If you have your own memories of the Gardens over the last 40 years that you’d like to share, please let us know.
Cheers,
Jennifer O. Rominiecki