B.S. - Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Design, 1980 Area of emphasis: Ornamental Horticulture

In his role at Cheekwood, Bob is responsible for all development and maintenance of the Garden’s 55 acres. From master planning, to garden design, to exhibit development, Bob enjoys the passion of public horticulture. In addition, he works with hundreds of volunteers to make the Cheekwood Gardens a showpiece. Bob has worked hard since arriving at Cheekwood to make the gardens not only a destination for visitors throughout the country, but also for the local and regional community to embrace with pride and excitement.

The Cheekwood Gardens are seen and enjoyed by 190,000 visitors each year. The property was once the elegant home of the Cheek family. The site includes the original Cheek gardens, designed by Bryant Fleming, with pools, fountains, statuary, extensive boxwood plantings and breathtaking views of the rolling Tennessee hills. Cheekwood was opened to the public in 1960 and the many specialized gardens have developed since that time. Visitors will discover a Japanese garden, an herb garden, two perennial gardens, a color garden, water garden, seasons garden and an award-winning wildflower garden. Each garden has a special purpose presenting a particular group of plants or garden style. Botanic Hall, the center of the horticultural activities, has art and horticultural exhibits, flower shows, an exceptional library and the annual Festival of the Holidays celebration.

Prior to returning to his hometown of Nashville in 1993, Bob was Director of Horticulture with the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden.

Bob attributes his love of gardening, horticulture and especially public gardening to his early days at The University of Tennessee, then the Department of Ornamental Horticulture & Landscape Design, now the Department of Plant Sciences. The professional contacts, classes, and many friends he met while at UTK made a tremendous impression on him. To this day, Bob values the time spent at UTK and regularly visits the campus to teach in several classes.