Lady Bird Johnson Sees Fruits of Wildflower Campaign

Danny C. Flanders
Lexington Herald-Leader

November 15, 2001

On this recent visit to Callaway Gardens, Georgia, the former First Lady
of the United States and environmental cheerleader—nearly blind and
in a wheelchair with arthritis—cannot take the hike.

Yet
that doesn't stop Lady Bird Johnson from exploring a wildflower trail
named in her honor last year. Her love of adventure, curiosity about
nature and determination to surmount any obstacle fuels her climb into a
golf cart for a spin through the woods.

At 88, this bird's a tough one to stump—especially on plants. Since the 60s, she's pushed a national crusade to encourage the preservation and re-establishment of native wildflowers, grasses, shrubs, vines and trees because of their ecological benefits.

"One thing I love about this country is its diversity of native plants from region to region, which is the way it should be," she says.

Three years ago, Lady Bird spent time in Georgia with old friends Howard "Bo" Callaway, chairman of Callaway Gardens, and his wife, Beth. This time the jaunt in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains is special because it's the first time she's seen additional proof that her crusade is working—signs designating Callaway Gardens an affiliate of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas.

The center was founded nearly 20 years ago by Lady Bird and actress Helen Hayes to educate the public about the use of wildflowers and other native plants. As one of three affiliates in the country, the 2,500-acre (1,000-hectare) Callaway Gardens, 65 miles (104 kilometers) south of Atlanta, spreads that message to the region's residents and visitors.

"The Callaway trail, in a sense, exemplifies our mission," says Robert Breunig, the center's executive director. "And our relationship with them is such a long and deep one."

Friendship Dates Back to White House Days

The bond dates to 1967, when Bo Callaway's mother, Virginia, who founded the gardens and resort with her husband, Cason, was invited to a White House reception for the unveiling of a portrait of an old friend, President Franklin Roosevelt. With their common interests in the environment and beautification, Virginia and Lady Bird clicked instantly.

"Is that fall aster I see?" Lady Bird asks, as her Secret Service agent, riding on back of the cart, sticks her steel cane out to shield her from low-hanging tree branches.

Her love affair with nature is legendary.

Born Claudia Taylor, her nickname stuck after a nursemaid pronounced her as pretty "as a lady bird." She got to know plants as a child. After her mother, Minnie, died in a fall at age 50, 5-year-old Lady Bird found refuge in the woods.

As first lady, she used her clout to launch a national campaign for highway beautification, going head to head with the powerful billboard lobby. On her 70th birthday in 1982, she established the wildflower center, donating 60 acres (24 hectares) endowing the nonprofit organization.

Today, this genteel Texan, who until six months ago swam 32 laps a day at the LBJ ranch, says she feels "every one of my 88, almost 89, years." She's been rendered legally blind by macular degeneration, and severe arthritis prevents her from doing more than standing in the pool.

Copyright 2001 Kentucky.com and the Lexington Herald-Leader

Lady Bird Johnson is a Trustee Emeritus of the National Geographic Society.