JARS v38n1 - Fred Galle Retires

Fred Galle Retires

One of the most respected people in the world of horticulture, Fred C. Galle, recently retired from Callaway Gardens after 30 years of service. Callaway's first Director of Horticulture, Galle worked closely with Gardens' founder, Cason J. Callaway, in developing the 2,500-acre garden into one of the world's leading horticultural centers. Recently, Galle had served as Curator for the Gardens.

One of the fundamental purposes of Callaway Gardens is to preserve flora and fauna native to the Southeast. Its scenic five-mile drive is devoted to that purpose, and Galle played a leading role in this proliferation of native plantings. "I feel the use of native plant materials in the Southeastern region has increased largely because visitors have had the opportunity to view the extensive collection at Callaway Gardens," Galle said upon his retirement. "Visitors can see the exquisite beauty of these native plants growing in their natural conditions and can get ideas for using them in their own landscaping projects."

An internationally-known authority on azaleas, Galle introduced to Callaway Gardens many of the 700 varieties of azaleas, making it one of the largest collections in the world. His book, Azaleas , was published in 1974 and he is presently updating Frederick P. Lee's popular Azalea Book , which has not been revised since 1965. This year both The American Horticultural Society and The American Rhododendron Society bestowed their most prestigious awards on Galle for his extensive and unselfish contribution of time and knowledge at the chapter, regional, national and international levels. At a recent dinner held in Galle's honor, President of Callaway Gardens, G. Harold Northrop, stated, "We have been fortunate to have the leadership of Mr. Galle since the beginning of Callaway Gardens. His knowledge and dedication to his profession have been invaluable in carrying out the purpose of the Ida Cason Callaway Foundation."