Craig Pearson

"Amazing and ever-changing, Desert Botanical Garden is a living museum that's so important—we have to keep it going. Like Phoenix, the Garden has grown up. It's evolved from a dusty place into a vibrant metropolitan oasis!"

Craig Pearson's interests in pots and container gardening brought him to Desert Botanical Garden. After starting a plantscape design business in the mid-1980s, Craig was persuaded to help with Dinner on the Desert—the Garden's signature gala fundraising event. It was his job to seek out silent auction donations of plants, pots and new corporate support. The effort turned out to be fun! "It was a way for me to connect what I did with the greater community. It's my chance to reconnect with the amazing people I've had opportunity to work with for the benefit the Garden."

Craig supports the Garden in many ways. Annually, he brings guests to Los Noches de las Luminiarias and introduces out-of-town visitors to the desert's wonders. He's connected the Garden with Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (SARCC), and he's underwritten a portion of the Pumpkin Festival special event for children with special needs.

Craig is also recognized through the Garden's Sonoran Circle legacy society. Craig's estate plan includes a charitable provision to share his interests in art and landscape design with the Garden forever—to grow the endowment and provide support for education.