Meet the 2025 Antiques at the Gardens Honoree: Sallie & Jim Johnson
By WENDY WALLACE JOHNSON
“Can’t you tell I love the Gardens?” Sallie Johnson asks.
It’s unmistakable. Suppose you are lucky enough to hear Sallie tell the stories of the Friends of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. In that case, you’ll listen to the passion of a volunteer who feeds off energy from over 40 years spent with the organization.
You might hear about the time a guest speaker, award-winning gardener and author Ken Druse, marveled at volunteer hydrangeas sprouting from the cracks of Red Mountain; stories about the year that she and the volunteer Board of Directors became the de facto executive directors of the Gardens; and of when the elegant socialite and designer Carolyne Roehm broke character briefly on stage. You’ll hear the names of nearly everyone who has made a significant impact on the Gardens, and most importantly, you’ll hear how a multitude of invaluable friendships grew and flourished over the years.
Sallie Johnson’s story with the Gardens began as so many do: she said “yes.” “In the early 1980s, I became editor of the Gardens’ newsletter as a Junior League volunteer placement. I knew nothing about gardening, or writing…zero,” she recalls. “But I said yes.”
As editor, she had the opportunity to attend a symposium at Lady Bird Johnson’s recently formed National Wildflower Research Center (now the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center) in Texas. The symposium was largely attended by “plant people,” of which Sallie stresses she was not. “A friend of mine made fun of me, saying, ‘You water your houseplants every four months, whether they need it or not.’ And that’s the type of gardener I was. But you learn by osmosis,” she winks.
Sallie and her husband Jim are long-time supporters of the Friends, as Sallie’s involvement over the years made them keenly aware of its importance to the community. “Starting out with the newsletter gave me intimate knowledge of the gardens,” says Sallie. “I was at every event and got to know every person behind the scenes.”
Her presence at those events lasted well beyond her promised two years. There has not been a time since those early years that Sallie hasn’t remained active with the Friends, either as an organizer or a volunteer. She has co-chaired the lecture series once hosted for the Friends by Rose Steiner, the celebration for the opening of the Garden Center, the Spencer Lecture series, the Spring Plant Sale, served on the Board of Directors and has served in countless volunteer roles.
She says working with these events tells the story of the impact of the Friends and the Gardens. “Promoting Birmingham is what we are doing,” she says. “With these different speaker events, and Antiques at the Gardens, we bring in these giants of the gardening and decorating world, and sometimes they have preconceived notions of what Birmingham is, especially years ago. We don’t tell them how wonderful Birmingham is, we show them. Our incomparable Southern hospitality wins them over every time! So, we are ambassadors, and at the same time, we are raising funds.”
“And, of course, the antiques that the vendors bring are wonderful as well,” she adds, referencing a wrought iron table in the hallway that she and Jim picked up at Antiques at the Gardens.
Sallie, Jim, and their children, Milton Johnson and Sumner Rives, avidly support several other cultural jewels in Birmingham, including the Birmingham Museum of Art and the Birmingham Zoo. “These aren’t just attractions—they’re essential educational and cultural pillars,” says Jim. “Investing in these institutions helps enrich the fabric of our community and makes the city a more vibrant place for people to live, work, and thrive.”
When it comes to the Friends’ programming, the educational programs have Sallie’s heart. “I am sure that my interest in the educational programs began in those early days: writing about them, seeing them in their formation, and then observing their impact in the lives of adults and children. Children spend so much less time in nature these days, and access to the Gardens and nature-based learning is important. I believe these efforts make a permanent difference in their lives.”
Sallie’s own education with the Friends has been life changing. “Learning something new is and always has been central to my life—that has happened in spades for me at the Gardens,” she says.
Sallie has continued to volunteer with the Spring Plant Sale since co-chairing it in 1998. “Fifteen or 20 years ago, Jeanie Sherlock was head of trees and shrubs. She was the trees and shrubs guru,” she laughs. “She tells me, ‘You’re going to work for me.’ So, I started working in trees and shrubs, and now I help people choose plants for their own homes. I even have my own name tag, ‘Sallie Johnson, Trees and Shrubs.’ That’s amazing for a non-plant person. That’s very official.”
A walk with Sallie through her garden demonstrates that “non-plant” person is somewhat a misnomer these days, as she explains the evolution of her own garden and what plants have proven to thrive in each place, including a robust espaliered sasanqua camellia and the maidenhair fern that thrives at the bottom of a stone wall.”
“I’ve learned so much from the Friends’ Plant Sale,” she says. “If you want to see the effect of the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens as a unifier of the community, come to the Plant Sale. The people I work with are from all walks of life. People come in from Shelby, Bibb, and Blount counties—from all over the place and all over the city.”
“In some cases, the only thing we have in common is a love for the Gardens. It has a broad appeal; one only needs to appreciate beauty in nature and have a desire for the Gardens to continue to thrive. It’s allowed me to meet and learn from people I never would have otherwise met,” she continues.
“The story is not about what I’ve done for the Gardens. It’s about what the Gardens has given me. Saying ‘yes’ brought me one of the biggest blessings in my life. My experiences with the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens have made me a better person.”