Fearrington remembers Lady Bird Johnson who passed away on July 11th at the age of 94. Mrs. Johnson held a special place in our hearts not only because she visited here but also because of a shared commitment to preserving and re-introducing wildflowers and other native plants.

In 1982 she helped found the National Wildflower Research Center, a nonprofit organization devoted to preserving and reintroducing native plants in planned landscapes, located east of Austin, Texas. It was officially renamed the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in 1998.

In 1988 she visited Fearrington, speaking in the Barn and signing copies of Wildflowers Across America, a book she had just co-authored with distinguished horticulturalist and Fearrington resident Carlton B. Lees. Lady Bird Johnson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977; the citation for her medal read, “Her leadership transformed the American landscape and preserved its natural beauty as a national treasure."

Our gardening team shares the same commitment to sustainable horticultural practices that Mrs. Johnson espoused. Learn more about the Fearrington Gardens>>

Carlton Lees, Lady Bird Johnson, Jenny Fitch,
former Chapel Hill mayor Jonathan Howes, and
Fearrington developer R.B. Fitch

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