John Gaston Fairey, founder of the John Fairey Garden, dies at age 89

On March 17, 2020, John Fairey died at the age of 89 years. In 1971, John acquired seven acres along a creek near Hempstead, TX, to begin his steadfast pursuit of his lifetime: the creation of Peckerwood Garden. With early help from George Clary, John planned and began construction of what was to become a 39-acre property that is a repository of rare and unusual plants from the United States, Mexico, and Asia. The garden came to exhibit almost 3,000 species of plants as it meanders along grassy paths into surprising shapes, exhibiting multiple textures, colors and fragrances. Among John Fairey’s many accolades are the American Horticultural Award in 1996, which he shared with Carl Schoenfeld, for their botanizing expeditions to northeast Mexico; the 2013 Scott Medal and Award  from Swarthmore College, PA, for his outstanding contribution to the science and art of gardening; in 2015, the American Horticultural Society’s highest honor, the Liberty Hyde Baily Award; and, in 2016, the Foundation for Landscape Studies Place Maker Award. John will also receive the Garden Club of America’s Medalist Award posthumously in May.

In 1998, Peckerwood Garden became a preservation project of the Garden Conservancy. With our assistance, the Peckerwood Garden Conservation Foundation was formed to operate the garden for the public and to identify and conserve threatened and disappearing native Mexican flora. The Garden Conservancy has assisted the Peckerwood Garden Conservation Foundation in public outreach and strategic planning for the garden's future as a public garden and study center and, since 2017, holds a conservation easement on the property to protect it in perpetuity.