History

The Friends of the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks, a group of like-minded horticulture and gardening enthusiasts, agreed that they wanted to form a non-profit organization.

The Botanical Garden Society of the Ozarks was incorporated as a non-profit organization.

The Botanical Garden Society of the Ozarks, under the guidance of the Executive Director at the time, Donna Porter, signed a lease with the city for the land it sits on today.

The Master Plan was completed during the tenure of Carl Totemeier, who served as  volunteer Executive Director of BGO from 2002 until his death in 2004.

The Master Plan was approved by the City of Fayetteville along with a revised lease  agreement that permits BGO to lease its site for a minimum of 100 years.

Construction of the timberframe building began. The Red Suspenders Timberframe Guild of New Hampshire held a workshop with about 25 participants, who camped out onsite during the first week of construction. Local volunteers & University of Arkansas School of Architecture professors and their students worked on this project, as well. Today, this building houses public restrooms, the Admissions Office, offices for staff, and the Totemeier Event Hall used for private events and classes.

Volunteers created an educational event about butterflies with 800 children participating. From there, volunteers expanded with other programs. At one point, over 4,000 children were visiting the Garden annually before the Garden officially opened to the public. Today, the Garden offers a multitude of opportunities for children to learn, including Little Sprouts, Garden Buds, summer camps, field trips, and many of our signature events!

Construction of BGO’s garden began under the leadership of Scott Starr, the first Director of Operations at BGO, whose salary was underwritten by a generous donation from Ed Clement. The Shade Garden was the first garden built! The original plan included only 9 gardens. Today, there are 12 theme gardens inside the gates.

The Tyson Terrace was completed. Today, the Tyson Terrace is used for so many of our events! It serves as a great way to merge the outdoor space of the Garden with the indoor space of the Totemeier Event Hall.

The Carl A. Totemeier Horticulture Center was dedicated, with former U.S. Senator Dale Bumpers as the keynote speaker. The large space on the first floor of the building is known as the Totemeier Event Hall. Today, this space is used for private events like parties and weddings, and classes & workshops held indoors. This building also houses public restrooms, the Admissions Office, and offices for staff.

Under Paige Mullhollan, who served as volunteer Executive Director from 2007 through  the first half of 2009, BGO opened to the public and continues to operate as a tax-exempt organization, as defined by Section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code.