Galloway Farm Nursery founder James Burns Lawrence, 66, passed away unexpectedly at his Pinecrest home on March 11, 2013.  Jim was the first of six children born to the late John and Lillian “Ish” Lawrence.  Jim was raised in South Miami, attended LaSalle High School and Miami Dade College.  In 1981, he ventured into a family business, Galloway Farm Nursery.

Galloway soon became the local landmark that it is today, providing the community with the best quality plants & landscaping.

Jim always lived life BIG. A strong leader in family, spiritual and business life. Jim was a Deacon at Old Cutler Presbyterian Church and deeply committed to his faith, church and the charity programs it provides.

He will be deeply missed and will continue to live in the hearts and minds of his family and friends.

With the generous help of Jim Lawrence of Galloway Farm Nursery, a design plan was conceived which pulled the three adjacent sections together, creating a wide vista that draws the eye beyond its present borders. It is also to be outfitted with drip irrigation in order to maintain moisture which will help to cre-ate microclimates within each of the three grottos. The plan calls for clothing the rocks with Begonias and Ferns to simulate authentic rainforest lagoons.Once its growth cycle is completed, the area promises to be one of the most attractive and complimentary improvements that the Fund has enacted. The lower garden is a lush compilation of winding path-ways, water features, rock walls and waterfalls. It houses rare Palms and plants from all over the world, and it is one of the most beautiful examples of what a tropical rainforest can become with the assistance of those who nurture it.

EXCERPT FROM THE GARDEN FUND NEWSLETTER >>>>>

The Pinecrest Garden Club, presided over by Patricia Kyle Lawrence for the last two years, has as its goal to support the Gardens and to provide educational opportunities to Pinecrest residents. See the Pinecrest Tribune article below for more about the Garden Club’s achievements:

This has been a tremendous year for the Pinecrest Garden Club. Membership has grown, the presence in the community is more visible than ever, we’ve had a full schedule of guest speakers and field trips and, thanks to the efforts of volunteers and board members, achievements have been plentiful.

Beginning late last summer after approval was received from the Village Council and Miami’s Historical Review Board, and with funds raised and donated by the Garden Club, noted local landscape artist Geoff Gordon installed a beautiful natural rock waterfall around the pond at the entrance to Pinecrest Gardens. Thanks to the Garden Club, visitors are now invited into the Garden through the gentle activity of cascading water and lush landscaping.

Along with the members of Palmetto Senior High School’s Honor Society, the Garden Club helped plant a beautiful butterfly garden behind the Pinecrest Library. We provided the plants and some of the manpower, and it is now a distinct focal point that attracts a large number of butterflies and bees.

Many of the club’s members stripped their yards of healthy plants and on two occasions they gathered at club president Pat Kyle Lawrence’s home to repot them. Other members baked a huge variety of desserts, and they all came together in March for the Backyard Festival at Pinecrest Gardens, where their tables overflowed with potted and bare root plants and sweets for sale. All proceeds will go to the Garden.

In addition, the club funded the rental of four giant heaters for the Community Garden Charitable Fund’s annual Soiree, which was held in Pinecrest Gardens on Feb. 26, one of the coldest nights of this past winter. The heaters were strategically placed throughout the meadow where the dinner and concert took place, and they added warmth and comfort to the Soiree guests.

The club also helped to decorate the Deering Estate this past Christmas, recently donated $5,165 directly to the Garden through the Village Council, taught local children about butterflies at this year’s Earth Day celebration, and donated 180 Spearmint plants to the Honeyshine workshop and the Mother’s Day brunch at Pinecrest Gardens.

All of this was in addition to the regular monthly schedule of meetings where members learned about Plants without Borders, Begonias, succulents, and orchids from various guest speakers who are experts in their particular areas of interest. Members were also enlightened about composting and hydroponic farming during field trips that took place during the year.

The Pinecrest Garden Club is comprised of women and men from diverse backgrounds and age groups who share a common love of nature and a desire to learn about native flora, to network, and to interact. It is a dynamic group that meets monthly from September through May, and membership is open to all who wish to partake and contribute to the community.