It was a terrible time to start a botanical garden, in the middle of the Great Depression. But somehow, enough support was gathered, and growers and collectors donated plants and trees. The first plantings, more than 600 palms in the Montgomery Palmetum, came from the Montgomerys' estate just down the road, where [Nell Jennings] and Alvin Jennings still live. Palms collected by [David Fairchild] in the early 20th century also were planted in the Palmetum.