James M. Garner

James Marshall Garner, 63, of Eatonton, died Sunday, July 6, 2014. He was born on September 8, 1950, to Arline Mercer and Henry James Garner, Jr. He was a third generation Atlantian who grew up in Ansley Park and graduated from Henry W. Grady High School. His interest in plants was engendered at an early age working in his grandmother’s garden in Druid Hills and a neighbor’s orchid greenhouses in Ansley Park. His professional career began as a greenhouse operator in Atlanta. Later, he began a farming operation in South Georgia that became Georgia’s largest producer of cut flowers.

Jim earned a B.S. in Horticulture in 1994 from The University of Georgia. He attended graduate school at Auburn University and The University of Georgia to pursue advanced studies in horticulture. His academic interests focused on herbaceous perennial plants and plant growth regulation. A descendent of a long line of educators, Jim always had an interest in teaching, and in the later part of his career he developed and implemented a horticulture degree program for Horry-Georgetown Technical College in Conway, South Carolina, in partnership with Brookgreen Gardens at Pawleys Island, South Carolina. His instructional experience covered a broad range of topics but focused primarily on training men and women for careers in public horticulture. A frequent contributor to gardening and trade publications, his accomplishments also included awards from the International Plant Propagators Society and a 2005 commendation by the South Carolina House of Representatives. He was a founding committee member and former Regional Director of the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers.

In early 2002, his love of historic buildings and gardens led him to purchase a historic house in Eatonton, Georgia, from the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. In the ensuing summers, Jim and his wife, Susan, painstakingly restored the house and brought the gardens back to life. In 2008, he accepted an appointment as Executive Director of Lockerly Arboretum in Milledgeville, Georgia. He was instrumental in revitalizing the grounds, restructuring the budget, and restoring Lockerly’s image in the community. He was a visionary leader who served on the Eatonton Tree Board and was involved in numerous civic activities.

He is survived by his wife, Susan; his son, James Clayton (Grace) Garner of St Leonards-On-Sea, East Sussex; grandson Michael Augustus Garner; granddaughter, Iceni Elizabeth Garner; sister, Barbara Garner Andrews of Brunswick; and innumerable friends, co-workers, students, and garden-lovers. Jim was happiest touring the great gardens of the United Kingdom, and he will be remembered for his commitment to public horticulture, his keen intellect, and his generous spirit.

Memorial donations may be made to Lockerly Arboretum, P.O. Box 310, Milledgeville, GA 31059