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historyGeorge Washington Carver was born into slavery in 1865, near Diamond, Missouri, a few miles southeast of Joplin. His interest in nature and plants developed early. By the age of 12, he was known in the local farming community as “theplant doctor.” He became the first African-American to studyat Iowa State Agricultural College, where he receivedbachelor’s and master’s degrees. He would go on to head thedepartment of agriculture at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama,where he revolutionized farming in the South by introducingplant diversity, crop rotation, natural fertilizers, andconservation methods.

By the end of his life, Carver was an internationally renowned figure, one of America’s greatest scientists,teachers, humanitarians, and advocates for productive,sustainable agriculture.

D O N O R O P P O R T U N I T I E S

You can make a difference in the Garden. Special namingopportunities exist for honoring or memorializing your loved ones. For information, contact the Development Office at (314) 577-5120.

C A R V E R G A R D E N

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George Washington Carver had keen observation skillswhich he developed as a boy, wandering through the woodssurrounding the Carver farm in southwest Missouri. As youwalk through the Carver Garden, tune in to nature andrecord some of your observations below.

look at the statue of George Washington Carver. Whatkind of coat is Carver wearing? What is Carver holding inhis hands? What is on his lapel?

listen to the sounds around you. What sounds do youhear? Can you hear nature “talking” to you?

smell Find a fragrant plant in the Carver Garden. What does it smell like to you?

touch There are many textures in the Carver Garden.How many different textures can you feel? What do theyfeel like? (Hint: hard, soft, waxy, coarse, sticky)

taste Can you imagine the taste of a peanut buttersandwich? sweet potato chips?

how many can you find?__________ quotes

__________ flowers in the garden

__________ benches

__________ nature sounds

__________ flowers on the Carver statue

making sense of the car ver garden

4344 Shaw Boulevard • Saint Louis, Missouri 63110

(314) 577-9400 • 1-800-642-8842 • www.mobot.org

©2008 Missouri Botanical GardenPhotography by Jack Jennings, Brian Mueller, Leslie Wallace, Erin Whitson, Kevin Wolf.Map by Tom Willcockson, www.mapcraft.com.

Printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper.Paper manufactured using 100% wind power. 01/08

1 . C A R V E R ’ S W I S D O M ( S O U T H PAT H E N T R A N C E )

Entering the garden from the south, visitors are able toproceed down a path lined with inspirational inscriptionsfrom Carver’s writings, speeches and correspondence.

“Alone with the things I loved most, I gathered specimens,and studied the lessons of nature.”

2 . B L A Z I N G T H E T R A I L ( R E F L E C T I N G P O O L )

Emerge from the pathway to the central reflecting pool.Reverence for nature was a key ingredient of GeorgeWashington Carver’s personal philosophy.

“Never a day passes but that I do myself the honor tocommune with some of nature’s varied forms.”

3 . S C I E N T I S T A N D S Y M B O L ( S TAT U E )

The focal point of the garden is a life-size bronze statue ofCarver by acclaimed African-American sculptor, Tina Allen.The six-foot statue shows a mature Carver of about 65 years,wearing a simple lab-coat with a small flower pinned to hislapel. Holding an amaryllis in his left hand, his wise gentleexpression seems to look beyond this favorite flower as heholds tightly to a worn but well-read Bible.

“It is not the style of clothes one wears, neither the kind ofautomobile one drives, nor the amount of money one has inthe bank, that counts. These mean nothing. It is simplyservice that measures success.”

4 . T H E P L A N T D O C T O R ( C A R V E R G A R D E N A R E A S )

As a child, Carver would carefully transplant and cultivatenative plants he found in the woods and fields surrounding theCarver farm. His keen observation skills led him to understandthe needs of each plant and the ability to nurse sickly plantsback to health. This knowledge was widely appreciated and earned him the title of “plant doctor.”

“Day after day...in the woods alone in order to collect my floral beauties and put them in my little garden I had hidden in brush...."

5. SPIRITUALITY AND SUSTAINABILITY (AMPHITHEATER)

George Washington Carver was both teacher of the commonman, regardless of skin color, and preacher of the value ofresource conservation. Invited to speak before the U.S. HouseWays and Means Committee in 1921 and given only 10 minutes,Carver captivated Capitol Hill with his presentation on thepeanut. Demonstrating some of the more than 300 productsthat he developed from the lowly groundnut, Carver’s allottedtime came and went as he spoke for well over an hour. As you sit in the amphitheater, reflect on the philosophy of thiscreative chemist.

“Throw nothing away, everything can be used again. Nature produces no waste.”

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Welcome to the 11/2 acre Carver Garden, designed for

peaceful contemplation and learning. Landscaped with fragrant

viburnums, hydrangeas, and sweet potato vines, this garden

provides a secluded, intimate feeling. Benches, inspirational

inscriptions, and a small amphitheater surrounding the

reflecting pool provide a quiet place to relax.

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CARVER GARDEN

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6 . T H E C A R V E R L E G A C Y: T O B E O F T H E

G R E AT E S T G O O D ( V E G E TA B L E P L O T )

At Tuskegee Institute, Carver developed his crop rotationmethod which revolutionized productivity and freed the South from its dependency on cotton. Hailed as the “savior of southern agriculture,“ his research encompassed severalsouthern crops—cowpeas, sweet potatoes, soybeans, and most notably, peanuts. During the growing season,specimens of these plants and others significant to Carver’slegacy may be viewed in the Kemper Center for HomeGardening’s display gardens.

“The highest attainments in agriculture can be reached onlywhen we clearly understand the mutual relationship betweenthe animal, mineral, and vegetable kingdoms, and how utterlyimpossible it is for one to exist in a highly organized statewithout the other.”

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Kemper Center for Home GardeningKemper Center for Home Gardening