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68 more than 100 botanical expeditions to Mexico that Fairey and Schoenfeld would make over the decades, and many of the plants and trees in the garden were grown from seeds they collected. Fairey helped raise conservation awareness on both sides of the border by sharing plant material and information with arboretums, plant societies, and universities; eventually many plants made their way into the nursery trade and private gardens. In recognition of their achievements, Fairey and Schoenfeld were presented with the American Horticultural Award in 1996. Two years later, Fairey took his private garden public with the help of the prestigious New York- based Garden Conservancy, which assists with outreach and strategic planning. In 2015, the American Horticultural Society bestowed its highest honor on Fairey: the Liberty Hyde Bailey Award. T waddle has some big shoes to fill. One of the important challenges as director is finding new ways to raise money for the garden, which has an annual budget of under $1 million. Twenty acres of the garden are under a conservation easement with The Garden Conservancy, so they can't be altered and must be maintained in perpetuity the way Fairey left them. Long-term, Twaddle hopes to use some of the remaining 19 acres to generate income, including infrastructure improvements that would allow the construction of a venue to host events and weddings. He's also looking for ways to bring more visitors to the garden regularly with educational programs and events. The annual Budding Out fundraiser, held this year in March after a two-year pandemic hiatus, was the most successful yet. It attracted some 800 visitors to buy rare and hard-to-find plants, along with art, ceramics, jewelry, locally made honey, craft beer, and farm-to-table foods from nearby Blackwood Educational In the West Woodland Garden, a vibrantly blooming Chinese witch hazel tree is native to Asia but flourishes in Texas. Tree-like Yucca rostrata plants, native to Texas and Mexico, cast artistic shadows on the gravel berm.