Chicago Botanic Garden

PHOTO: Galen GatesPlant Collections — Staff

Galen D. Gates

Plant Collections
Director, Plant Collections


PUBLICATIONS

As Director of Plant Collections at the Chicago Botanic Garden, Galen Gates oversees a specialized curatorial staff and the Garden's extensive plant collections of nearly 1.8 million trees, shrubs, perennials, bulbs and aquatics. He has also coordinated the development of the Garden's Collections Management Plan, which provides direction for the institution's four collection areas: plants, library, herbarium and sculpture. He is responsible for maintaining an extensive and current representation of the best plants for the Upper Midwest.

Galen has nearly 30 years of professional experience in horticulture, ranging from curatorial responsibilities and management to involvement in the development and construction of million-dollar display gardens. His background in teaching, plant evaluation, construction and maintenance has made him a consultant to professional industry organizations, publishers, nurserymen, landscape design/build firms and seed companies.

Galen is a founding member of the Midwest Plant Collecting Collaborative, a consortium of five major Midwest institutions, which searches the world for valuable plants well suited for this region's climate. He has led several plant expeditions, including three to the former Soviet Union, where a number of plants new to the industry were collected. Galen also chairs the Garden's plant exploration committee.

In addition, Galen has been active with 21 horticultural organizations–and is a founding member of five. These include the Landscape Plant Development Center and the International Committee of the Perennial Plant Association. His formal training in horticulture includes a bachelor of science degree from Kansas State University.

The author of numerous plant-related articles in professional journals and trade magazines, Galen has contributed to more than 60 books. He is also a widely known lecturer and serves as a spokesperson for the Chicago Botanic Garden through various media.

 

publications

Books

Gates, Galen and Ethan Johnson. Trees. New York: Knopf/Random House, 1996.

Gates, Galen with Chris Graham and Ethan Johnson. Shrubs and Vines. New York: Knopf /Random House, 1998.

Shulkina, Tatyana and Galen Gates. Ornamental Plants of Russia. St. Louis: Missouri Botanical Garden Press, print date 2002.

 

Conference Proceedings and Journal Articles

"Right Place, Right Plant." The Landscape Contractor. July 2000: 20-23.

Plant Expedition to the Russian Far East - Expedition Report. Glencoe: Chicago Botanic Garden, 1999.

"Something in the Air." Horticulture 46, no. 5: 22.

Foreword to Plant Exploration: Protocols for the Present, Concerns for the Future - Symposium Proceedings. Glencoe: Chicago Botanic Garden, 1999.

"A Vine for All Seasons." American Nurseryman. (1996): 29-39.

"Life beyond the Leyland Cypress." The American Gardener 75, no. 3 (1996).

"Plant Hunting in Russia." In Proceedings of the Perennial Plant Association, ed. Stephen Still. Hilliard, Ohio: Perennial Plant Association, 1995.

"Cold-Weather Annuals." Fine Gardening 45 (October 1995): 58-61.

"Problem Solving Presenters Forum," In Problem Solving in the Midwest Landscape Symposium Proceedings. Glencoe, Ill.: Chicago Botanic Garden, 1993.

"Clematis maximowicziana." American Nurseryman 178, no. 3 (September 1, 1993): 106.

"Thuja plicata." American Nurseryman 178, no. 1 (July 1, 1993): 186.

"Spiraea x cinerea 'Grefsheim'." American Nurseryman 172, no. 5 (March 1, 1993): 110.

"Cassia hebecarpa." Quarterly Newsletter of the Perennial Plant Association 29 (Winter 1992): 30.

"Native Plant Displays at the Chicago Botanic Garden." In Incorporating Native
Plants into the Midwest Landscape Symposium Proceedings. Glencoe: Chicago Botanic Garden, 1992.

"Plant Profiles – Allium thunbergii." Public Garden 7, no. 1 (January 1992): 38.

"Collections Role Diverse." Garden Talk 6, no. 4 (April 1991): 5.

"Illinois: Home of Ancient Trees." Garden Talk 6, no. 3 (March 1991): 3.

"New Plants Add to Current Collections – Narcissus." Garden Talk 6, no. 4 (April 1991): 7.

"Garden Grows with New Acquisitions." Garden Talk 6, no. 2 (February 1991): 3.

"Collections, Watching Out for New Plant Arrivals." Garden Talk 6, no. 1 (January 1991): 5.

"Field Notes - Spiraea fritschiana." American Nurseryman 174, no. 2 (December 15, 1991): 202.

"Allium thunbergii 'Ozawa'." American Nurseryman 173, no. 5 (March 1, 1991): 138.

"Noteworthy Newcomers." Garden Talk 5, no. 11 (November 1990): 4.

"New Plant Forum: Spiraea fritschiana and Allium thunbergii 'Ozawa'." In The International Plant Propagator's Society Combined Proceedings 40 (1990): 634.

"Cassia hebecarpa." American Nurseryman 169, no. 9 (May 1, 1989) 166.

"New Plant Forum: "Cassia hebecarpa." In The International Plant Propagator's Society Combined Proceedings 38 (1988): 603.

"Groundcovers: 'Usual to Unusual'." In Indoor/Outdoor Collections & Their Use: American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta Midwest Regional Meeting Symposium Proceedings. (1987).