Bruce V. Green was born in Bloomington in 1916. He attended Washington Grade School and Bloomington High School before graduating from the University of Illinois. Green worked in advertising and marketing for local companies until 1966, when he established Bruce Green Advertising, Ltd. He was also an avid gardener and wrote articles for the Garden Writers Association of America, which were published in magazines throughout the United States.
In 1948, Green married Genevieve Carlock, a Carlock native who later attended Illinois State. In addition to her love of gardens, she was an accomplished contralto soloist, performing the Messiah in Bloomington and cities throughout Illinois.
During her later years, Mrs. Green suffered failing health, and Mr. Green was known by family and friends as a committed husband who never left her side for a moment. Wherever you saw one you saw the other.
In an audio recording detailing the trust to establish the gardens, Green called for the gardens to be installed in or adjacent to the city of Bloomington. He added locating “fertile soil” was a must, and that the availability of water, the cost of acreage and the addition of a pond were also important elements.
