Labors of Love
Warren Bankson
Warren Bankson, long time superintendent of the Gardens, left an everlasting mark on the place he loved so much. Born December 9, 1920 in Poyen (east of Malvern) Warren was associated with the project longer than any other individual except Mrs. Verna Garvan. In countless ways the Gardens, through every stage of its development, bears witness to his hard work and dedication. A determined, can-do individual, Warren implemented Mrs. Garvan's vision from inception, through all the original gardens left to the University, and on to the first stages of the master plan. He was personally involved from initial trail building in 1956 through a plethora of other projects until retirement in July 2000.
Warren's first association with Mrs. Garvan was at the brickyards of Malvern Brick and Tile in February 1955. His hard work, good sense, and willing attitude soon made a big impression and by 1961 he was promoted to superintendent and continued working for Mrs. Garvan until she sold the plant to Acme Brick in 1976. He had made regular visits to the Gardens throughout that time, investing countless lunch hours and staying late to help Mrs. Garvan plan and manage the project while supervising the work as, together, they watched the Gardens grow. Early major efforts were main trail construction in 1956, planting of the boxwood maze in 1958, and beginning the irrigation system in 1960 (most of which is still in use today). In 1964, Warren began a long-standing tradition, using a stake to mark the exact spot Mrs. Garvan indicated before planting the large Kurume azaleas and rare bulbs we all enjoy on the west end of Woodland Walk.
After Mrs. Garvan retired, Warren stayed on at the brickyard with Acme until 1979. During that year, Warren returned to his long-time employer and the project in which he had so much invested as the Gardens' first full time superintendent. His wife Emma Jean Clark Bankson joined the staff in 1981 and, working with a crew of one to two laborers, this dedicated team worked steadily as Verna's vision began to materialize year by year.
Some of the major landmarks accomplished during those days were Woodland Walk in 1980-81, the stone walk to the dock in 1981, and then the stakes came back out for the plantings along Camellia trail in 1982. Warren drew on his extensive knowledge of brick during the construction of Old Brick Hill in 1984, helping the masons implement Mrs. Garvan's original pattern seen there today. Another major accomplishment in 1984 was construction of a 40 X 50 shop building near the current Amphitheater. Warren was particularly excited about this building, which provided excellent workspace to replace the small shed he built himself and used throughout the early years of the project.
The first stone wall on the west end of Woodland Walk, built in 1985, was constructed almost entirely of stone removed from planting holes by Warren and his staff. According to Jean, "The masons didn't like that rock and would lay it off to the side, so Warren would just pick it up and move it on down the line until they used it all." Just one of thousands of stories illustrating Warren's ability to get the job done, as Mrs. Garvan wanted it!
Bob Byers, Garden Director and Warren Bankson.
Daffodil Hill first burst in bloom in 1983-85 (with Warren and the crew pounding holes for the bulbs with a special tool he made from a short steel cylinder and can hook handle. Jean followed along to drop in the bulbs and cover them). After a trip to San Francisco and Golden Gate Park, Mrs. Garvan returned home with big plans that took shape under Warren's direction as Japanese Maple Hill in 1985-86.
Next, Warren and Jean's hard work resulted in the Border of Old Roses in 1987. Warren was also closely involved with the construction of the Verna Cook Garvan Pavilion, begun in 1993 and completed in 1994, shortly after Mrs. Garvan's death. True to form, he took Polaroid photos each day during her final hospitalization so she could see the progress.
In November of 1985, Mrs. Garvan signed the trust agreement with University of Arkansas Chancellor Ray Thornton and while Warren's primary job didn't change, the number of people who depended on his expertise and knowledge grew significantly. Then, beginning in 1989 he started helping manage tours arriving by the Belle of Hot Springs, and walked the trails countless times with survey teams from the University's Engineering and Landscape Architecture Departments as they mapped the Gardens in 1988-91.
After Mrs. Garvan's death, Warren provided hundreds of priceless, missing tidbits that allowed professors and representatives of the University Library's Special Collections to paint a much more complete picture documenting the history of the project. Perhaps most importantly, it's impossible to overestimate the critical role of Warren's input in interpreting Mrs. Garvan's plant notebooks while cataloguing the plant collection in 1994-97.
Always loyal and dedicated, Warren continued to manage the Gardens according to Mrs. Garvan's instructions after her death in 1993. Throughout development of the master plan, he and Jean were wonderful sources of information on Mrs. Garvan's plans and statements about various areas, helping the talented professionals involved more fully visualize her intent. In particular, Warren offered invaluable insight on issues of concern, drawing on his long personal experience to help reach compromise by helping everyone understand what her preferences might have been.
After completion of the master plan, Warren took over managing the first improvements it included in 1998, most funded by or related to our first major state grant from the Arkansas Natural And Cultural Resources Council. Under his direction, good vehicular access was provided with the paving of the service road, the permanent primary power supply was installed to which we continue attaching other improvements today, and the first new planting areas since Mrs. Garvan's death were developed.
During the midst of all these years of hard work and activity, Warren still managed an outstanding effort as husband and father as he and Jean raised two sons and two daughters of whom he was always very proud. He practiced his Baptist faith for many years as well, illustrating once again his deep devotion to all the people and beliefs he felt were so important.
According to Garden Director Bob Byers, "As the 'new kid', I can't tell you how much I depended on Warren throughout the time I had the privilege of working with him. He was truly a treasure and the outstanding quality you see everywhere at the Gardens is a direct result of the high standards he and Mrs. Garvan set from the beginning."
What a legacy! Warren, who passed away February 23, 2003, left the fruits of 45 years of a labor of love that thousands enjoy every year. In Warren's own words, his favorite moment of leisure in the Gardens was "just sitting and thinking about what has been done and about what's going to be done, and thinking about the lady who owned it." According to Jean, "Warren always wanted to do what Mrs. Garvan wanted done. He was very dedicated." We celebrate Warren's life, that dedication, and his many contributions to Arkansas' Botanical Garden.