McKee Botanical Garden has been awarded the esteemed Jean and John Greene Prize for Excellence in American Gardening. This award includes a $45,000 grant to support the garden’s five-year strategic business plan, aimed at ensuring its future growth and financial stability.
Rochelle Wolberg, Executive Director of McKee Botanical Garden, stated that receiving this national award from the Garden Conservancy reaffirms their shared missions. James Brayton Hall, President and CEO of the Garden Conservancy, expressed pride in supporting McKee, highlighting its remarkable history and work as a model for other public gardens.
The Jean and John Greene Prize was established through a nearly $3 million estate gift to the Garden Conservancy from John Kaul Greene, who passed away in 2019. Greene intended to create an award that would recognize outstanding achievement in American gardening.
Founded in 1932 by Arthur McKee and Waldo Sexton, McKee Botanical Garden was transformed from a tropical jungle into a premier garden by William Lyman Phillips. In 1996, with support from the Indian River Land Trust, the Trust for Public Land, and endorsement from the Garden Conservancy, the garden was reclaimed and preserved. Today, McKee serves as an environmental, cultural, and educational leader, committed to engaging visitors of all ages and inspiring environmental stewardship.
