(somber guitar music) (somber guitar music) [Gary] When I was growing up, every kid just lived in the park out here.

(somber guitar music) Well, I grew up clear at the west end of town, so we'd hop on our bikes, ride down here, and we played underneath the big cottonwood trees, which seemed to me they were big then and they're all still here and it sure looks different now than it did then.

[Narrator] What was once Gary Zimmer's childhood playground, is now the Gilman Park Arboretum in Pierce, Nebraska.

I got outta college and I never dreamt that I'd end up back in Pierce, because my dreams were running some big park somewhere else, but, had a lot of good memories out here.

[Narrator] Gary spent 40 years as the park superintendent and considers the arboretum one of his biggest accomplishments.

Now you'll see some big cotton woods up here, but other than that, I planted everything down here.

[Narrator] It started from a very simple idea.

[Gary] People were walking out here, just for exercise, and they just had a trail, just a dirt trail that they were walking around and I got to thinking, why not give 'em something to look at while you're there?

But that simple project soon became a huge undertaking and eventually, a tourist destination and point of pride for the area.

(somber guitar music) [Gary] I've been told that we are the most diverse arboretum in the state, that we have more different kinds of plants than any other arboretum in the state.

This isn't a real what you'd call a landscape arboretum, where everything you know is designed in the perfect landscape.

It's more of a specimen arboretum, where people can look at one particular tree and say, "Whoa, I really like that."

And they can go home and Google it and find out more about that tree.

You know, the lace bark elm should not be growing here, and I gave it a try and it's just plumb happy.

I mean, it obviously likes where it's at.

It's pretty protected here and I'm always watching for something new.

I love trying new things.

You know, garden is just full of butterflies.

When people think about arboretums, I think most of them are thinking about trees.

That's pretty much what you figure in arboretums gonna be.

But an arboretum is so much more than just trees.

(somber guitar music) [Narrator] Of the $140,000 spent on the arboretum, only one third was paid for by the city budget.

Grant's, donations and memorials have paid for the rest.

A testament to Pierce's community spirit.

(somber guitar music) (somber guitar music) There's one memorial here that's particularly meaningful.

[Gary] This is our historic bridge.

It was on our county road, about eight miles west of Pierce over Willow Creek, but the county wanted to replace it, 'cause it's so narrow, they couldn't get farm equipment across it and they found out when they went to replace it, that they couldn't destroy it, because it's on the National Registry of Historic Bridges and it's got such a story behind it because it's so historic and so rare.

And the plants around it, I have fond memories of that because the gardens around it were designed by the late Jim Cluck.

And he was killed in a car accident several years ago.

But Jim came, and him and me, spent two days planting all the stuff around here.

So every time I walked through this, I think of Jim.

He was a very good friend of mine and I still miss him.

It's been a long time ago.

These gardens around the bridge are kind of dedicated to him.

(somber guitar music) [Narrator] Gary has been planting this area since 1993.

Now most of his days are spent caring for the trees that have grown up here just as he did.

I could probably spend a couple hours just on this one tree.

(chuckles) (somber music) Makes me feel old because, you know, you look at a tree like that and "Wow, I planted that."

(chuckles) Well, it's definitely a source of pride for the community.

There's people out here walking every day and every night and it brings people into town.

I think it means a lot to the community for that.

And it definitely means a lot for the community, just for a place to come after a day's work and just quietly walk and enjoy the nice weather and flowers blooming and things like that.

All the work was definitely worth it.

There's no question, no question about it.

(gentle music)