Bob and Sally Bullington established an innovative plant nursery and grew a garden that melded native and exotic trees and shrubs into a beautiful, coherent whole.

The Bullingtons wished their 13-acre grounds, along with their homeplace, to be used for horticultural education after both had died. Bob Bullington survived his wife and died in 1989.

The Henderson County Education Foundation (HCEF) ensured the implementation the Bullington's wishes when it assumed ownership of the Bullington Property in 1990. HCEF, the Henderson County School System, and the Cooperative Extension Service of Henderson County joined to create and carry out programs that have emphasized the Bullington Mission.