On a busy spring day, hundreds of people visit the State Botanical Garden of Georgia to enjoy the garden’s permanent collections and breathtaking seasonal displays. These displays must start somewhere, and the magic begins in the garden’s greenhouses.
Eli McKinney is the garden’s greenhouse manager, and at any given time, he is responsible for the care and maintenance of thousands of plants in the garden’s horticulture greenhouses.
McKinney grows plants for the curators of each of the State Botanical Garden’s specialty gardens, the gift shop, the garden’s spring and fall plant sales, the garden’s grounds team, and the conservation team, helping them grow native species for different projects.
He maintains the garden’s three greenhouses, each with three rooms and their own climate controls. These greenhouses allow him to grow different species with their own climate needs.
In 2024, McKinney grew around 8,000 plants for the fall and 11,000 for the spring. He doesn’t do it all by himself; several dedicated volunteers and part-time staff help him throughout the week with sowing seeds and transplanting.
“I enjoy being able to successfully grow something from seed to finish, especially plants that are new to me,” said McKinney. “It’s exciting to see what you can be successful with.”
Greenhouses on site allow the State Botanical Garden to introduce more variety into its seasonal displays.
McKinney is currently working on growing plants for the spring plant sale on April 17-19. At the sale, a variety of perennials, vegetables, herbs, house plants, fruit trees and more will be available. There will also be a wide variety of native plants that are grown in partnership with the garden’s conservation staff.
“The plant sale is going to have a great selection of different species,” McKinney said. “We aren’t selling anything that we wouldn’t recommend planting in your home garden.”
Staff from the horticulture and conservation departments, along with Master Gardeners, will be at the plant sale to answer gardening questions and make recommendations for your specific needs.
All proceeds from the April plant sale go directly to the operational costs of the horticulture and conservation departments. With these profits, the State Botanical Garden can add new plants to its botanical collections, purchase necessary supplies and hire part-time employees to help keep the gardens beautiful year-round.
Thursday, April 17, is the preview sale for Friends of the Garden members only. Members will receive a 10% discount and get to shop early.
Visit botgarden.uga.edu for more information about the Spring Plant Sale and how to become a Friends of the Garden member.
