AW Kelleys Gardens Inc.

Arthur "Speed" Kelley passed away in 2005 at the age of 83. He will be sorely missed by all who had the fortune to know him. It is the intention of the family and staff to carry on the legacy of his, lifetime passion for horticulture.

A native of Fort Myers, Arthur was especially proud of his roots in the area. He was the great grandson of Captain Francis Asbury Hendry who bestowed Lee County with its' name in 1887, in honor of General Robert E. Lee and for whom Hendry County was named.

Devotion for plants started early since Arthur grew up at Everglades Nursery on McGregor Blvd. which was started by his father Arthur Kelley Sr. and Uncle James E. Hendry, before he was born.  This nursery became the largest producer of palms in the world in the early 1930's.  Arthur learned the clever art of grafting and hybridizing from his family.  His Uncle James developed and named countless varieties of bougainvillea and hibiscus, many of which are popular still today.

Arthur acquired the nickname "Speed" in high school football following appointment as team "water boy", due to an injury. The name stuck!  Some have thought this referred to the speed he used in approaching personal goals and dreams in life.

In 1946 Arthur acquired 20 acres off Winkler Ave. to start his first nursery, Kelley's Gardens.  The property was located a few blocks from where the Edison Mall is today. He and his wife Dixie, who worked in the business from the start, raised their three children Drew, Kent, and Piper there. Arthur's brother, Joe Kelley, joined the business in 1955 as his partner. The nursery became well known for their expertise in landscaping, transplantation of large trees and supplying quality, retail plant material.

Kelley's Gardens Inc. was sold in 1983. Operations and partial staff, including Speed's long-time personal secretary and friend, Ettie Walsh, moved to the alternate Hendry Creek Drive growing area.  Departing from landscaping, Speed changed direction to form a "wholesale only" nursery, A.W. Kelley's Gardens Inc. This new corporation integrated his sons Drew and Kent.

Arthur's wisdom in the plant world was profound. He was considered an expert in palm transplantation, flower hybridization and grafting. He was bighearted in sharing "tricks of the trade" with others. Peers have referred to him as a "Professional Cracker", a title he treasured.  Arthur had an inspirational, "magic touch" for creating new seedling varieties of hibiscus, his favorite plant, which he fondly named "The Dixie" "The Piper" and "Miss Ettie" after family and close friends.

The Piper” Hybrid Hibiscus

Commitment to the horticultural industry spanned 60 years for Arthur. He was not a man to boast of his accomplishments and was humble in receiving plaques or acknowledgements.  Arthur was genuinely honored however in receiving the distinguished "Professional Nurseryman of the Year" award in 1990 presented by FNGA (Florida Nurserymen and Growers Association). He was a founding member of the Royal Palm Chapter of FNGA and Lee County Farm Bureau. Furthermore Arthur was an active board member in Rotary Club, Lions Club, State Board-Farm Bureau, Lee County Soil & Water Conservancy District, National Affairs-Farm Bureau, South Florida Agricultural Council, Boy Scouts and his Church.  He chaired many of these boards over the years.

Arthur's enduring vision of handing down his legacy to his family was fulfilled before he left this earth. The entire family, together with his daughter Piper, continues to operate the business which flourishes today. His kind uplifting words, generosity, life teaching lessons and integrity live on in all who befriended him. His wife Dixie, at times, refers to her husband of 55 years as a "Southern Gentle Man".

Ettie C. Walsh

Ettie, along with her husband, William T. “Bill” Walsh, Jr., and two sons, Bill, III, age 7, and Bob, age 2, moved to Fort Myers, Florida, in January, 1960. Bill was employed by the Division of Plant Industry, Florida Department of Agriculture and had been transferred to Fort Myers in December, 1959, to be the District Plant Inspector for Lee, Charlotte and Collier Counties.

As happy chance would have it, they moved into a house just across the Winkler Canal (then known as a ditch) from our nursery, Kelley’s Gardens, Inc. Our families became fast friends, both adults and children. Bill and A.W. Kelley spent many enjoyable hours in the woods working their English birddogs in search of the illusive quail. Ettie and Dixie made many trips to the North Carolina and Georgia mountains in search of bargains at the outlets which were tucked away right in the main factories. Read More

History of Bougainvillea

1955 at Everglades Nursery
Left: Dick Pope-Cypress Gardens
Center: Helen (Johnson) Hendry
Right: James E. Hendry Jr.

The following article was written by Helen Johnson Hendry, who started working for Jim Hendry (James E. Hendry Jr.) at Everglades Nursery when she was 12 years old. Her father, uncle and older brothers also worked at the nursery. Helen continued on to become an integral part of the nursery operation. She married Jim Hendry's son, (Jim Hendry III). Jim Hendry (James E Hendry, Jr.) was Arthur Kelley's uncle. Read it here

Helen Hendry Short Bio

Helen Hendry

Helen Johnson Hendry, horticulturist and landscape architect, began her career in 1942 at the age of 12 in Fort Myers, Florida. She began pulling weeds at Everglades Nursery after school to make a few dollars to buy Christmas presents. Money was scarce back then when Helen lived with her parents and six siblings behind the nursery, off McGregor Boulevard.

Everglades Nursery was started originally at the home of James Hendry, Jr. in 1908 on Fowler Street in downtown Fort Myers. The nursery relocated in 1909 to a 40 acre tract owned by Arthur Kelley, Sr. on McGregor Boulevard. Arthur brought in his brother-in-law James as a partner; the two incorporated that same year and they kept the name Everglades Nursery. Down the line in the 1930’s, Hendry bought Kelley’s share in the business and became sole owner of the nursery. The nursery was noteworthy in being the largest producer of containerized palms in the world around that time period.

Helen continued to work at the nursery during school vacations where she uncovered her love for plants. After graduation from Fort Myers High School in 1949 she accelerated to full-time employment and studied horticulture under Hendry. Years later she married his son, Jim Hendry III and became an integral part of the nursery operation. After the death of her father-in-law, Jim Hendry, Jr. in 1955, Helen and her husband James managed the nursery. In 1966 Helen became a member of the Florida Board of Landscape Architects and was the only female on the Board of Directors.

Everglades Nursery was a major contributor to Florida’s beautification with the development of the bougainvillea as a principal landscape plant for color emphasis. The nursery property was sold for residential development in 1987 and is presently known as Banyan Cove.

As a young lady Helen became an expert botanist, under the guidance of Jim Hendry, Jr. and V. J. Honc. To this day she is active with her career as a landscape architect in Fort Myers. Numerous articles have been written over the years concerning Helen’s heritage, knowledge and contributions to her community and the horticultural industry. Helen is also well known for the stunning, pink flowered, “Helen Johnson Dwarf Bougainvillea” which is named after her. This plant continues to be a top seller and will likely be fashionable for years to come.