American Public Gardens Association

Thank you so much to the Desert Botanical Garden (DBG) in Phoenix, Arizona, for being wonderful hosts! The Association met for their annual retreat last week at DBG and joined the Board later that day who planned their quarterly meeting during the same time. This was a great opportunity for the APGA staff and the Board to meet in person. This post highlights our retreat, and we will also be sharing photos from the Desert Botanical Garden in a separate post. Since we are a fully remote Association, we all look forward to spending time together to discuss new ideas and how to put those ideas into action. Our annual retreat is held at different member garden each year as a way to also meet with our members in person. The meeting kicked off with a LEGO team-building activity where we were split up into two teams. One person from each team was a Lead Designer and another from each team was the Lead Builder who communicated with only the designer and builders. The Lead Designers had a limited time to study the design of a LEGO flower and then describe the flower to the Lead Builder who then had to describe it to the builders. The activity was a great exercise on communication and teamwork. #GoPublicGardens #PublicGarden #PublicGardens #desertbotanicalgarden #arizona #phoenix #phoenixaz #phoenixarizona

Join us on TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, from 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET for Fundraising for Food and Ag Programs in Public Gardens webinar! Register here: https://lnkd.in/e3V3cGeP Everybody eats! Food and agriculture programming is growing in public gardens across North America. Join us to learn about how public gardens are raising funding and reaching new audiences. You will learn about different fundraising strategies, big and small, being adopted in gardens. From grants to large events and donor engagement there are opportunities for all. Speakers: Federal Funding – Megan Haidet, US Botanic Garden Event Food Festivals – Larry Vickerman, Denver Botanic Gardens Events and Donations – Tara Moreau, UBC Botanical Garden Moderation – Dawn Davies, New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill This event will be recorded. All virtual events are hosted via Zoom and will have closed captioning available. If you have questions about the event’s accessibility, please reach out to info@publicgardens.org. Education & Science Professional Development Track supported by Naples Botanical Garden #GoPublicGardens #PublicGarden #PublicGardens #foodandag #agriculture #produce #farming #gardenfarm #gardenfarming

The 3-acre James G. Kaskey Memorial Park - The BioPond is the original botanic garden for the University of Pennsylvania. The Park is a living lab for the college students and a beautiful spot for the community to relax. The Park was first established in 1897 as a research garden. At the south end of the park new planting bed were recently planted. The steps at the south end of the pond were rebuilt to provide safe access to the woodland garden area. The public can enjoy picnic areas at the park during warm weather days. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/evqx8nKK #GoPublicGardens #PublicGarden #PublicGardens #universityofpennsylvania #pennsylvania #uofpenn #biopond #thebiopond

The deadline is approaching! Garden Club of America Hope Goddard Iselin Fellowship Award for the 2025 Application cycle is open from September 1, 2024, to February 1, 2025. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/eWHeFKmD A fellowship/grant opportunity offered in partnership with the Garden Club of America. The Garden Club of America Hope Goddard Iselin Fellowship in Public Horticulture will award up to a $5,000 grant to a student enrolled in a graduate-level university program to study public horticulture through experiential learning that takes place at a recognized public garden, botanic garden, arboretum, or other closely aligned public horticulture institution in the United States. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gT-rTbyH Garden Club of America Hope Goddard Iselin Fellowship Award for the 2025 Application cycle is open from September 1, 2024, to February 1, 2025. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/eWHeFKmD A fellowship/grant opportunity offered in partnership with the Garden Club of America. The Garden Club of America Hope Goddard Iselin Fellowship in Public Horticulture will award up to a $5,000 grant to a student enrolled in a graduate-level university program to study public horticulture through experiential learning that takes place at a recognized public garden, botanic garden, arboretum, or other closely aligned public horticulture institution in the United States. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ew-uyGVN #fellowships #gardenclubofamerica #hopegoddardiselinfellowship #horticulture #gopublicgardens #publicgarden #publicgardens

The first discussion for the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden in Southern California began 100 years ago when the Carnegie Institution suggested a cooperative undertaking with the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. The vision was to create a botanical garden that touches the sea and the crest of the mountains. The Mission Creek runs nearly directly through the Garden and the canyon add a stunning backdrop. Over the years as the garden grew, they also added the Pritchett Trail during the 1940s adding access to the wooded slopes west of the canyon. The rustic Campbell Bridge was built linking the oak woodlands to the west side of Mission Creek with the central part of the garden. Fast forward to 2025, the Santa Barabara Botanic Garden is a thriving spot for locals and visitors alike who can enjoy the beauty of the display gardens. The Garden offers unique educational classes and exhibits to learn more about the natural world. Conservation is another aspect that the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden takes seriously. We like how they compare their approach to conservation like the layers of a cake. From their website: "You must understand the components of biological diversity (the bottom layer) before you can protect and recover the rarest species (the middle layer) and work to restore diverse, healthy, and functioning ecosystems (the top layer)." We think the actions they take and projects they organize to preserve endangered plant species and transform landscapes is the icing on the conservation cake! Learn more and plan your visit: https://lnkd.in/gGRQnKDR #GoPublicGardens #PublicGarden #PublicGardens #SantaBarbaraBotanicGarden #santabarbara #california #plantconservation #conservation

Congratulations to McKee Botanical Garden on being awarded the prestigious Jean and John Greene Prize for Excellence in American Gardening! We are thrilled for them! The Garden Conservancy selected McKee Botanical Garden as the third recipient of the esteemed prize of a $45,000 grant to support the garden’s development of a comprehensive, five-year strategic business plan to ensure the garden’s continued growth and long-term financial sustainability. “I am immensely proud to have advanced McKee’s candidacy! The history of the garden is remarkable, and the work they are doing there is an outstanding model for other public gardens,” James Brayton Hall, President and CEO of the Garden Conservancy said. Read more: https://lnkd.in/encGhUgY #GoPublicGardens #PublicGarden #PublicGardens #mckeebotanicalgarden #florida

During the second day of our APGA staff retreat last week, we had the pleasure of meeting inside a room at the Glendale Library in Glendale, Arizona. We were surprised to see dozens of peacocks lounging on rocks and tree branches just outside of the library. We learned later that they escaped a nearby ranch and preferred living near the library. One of the staff gave us a wonderful tour of the Xeriscape Demonstration Garden, which surrounds the library. The shrub with the reddish orange flowers is a called an Emu Bush (Eremophila) and is native of Australia. The Emu Bush is a favorite among pollinators! We learned about how birds bore holes in saguaro cacti to create nests. The cacti spikes act as a safe barrier against predators. The Gila woodpecker is one bird species that uses its beak to essentially carve a hole big enough to fly inside. Once baby birds are grown enough to leave the nest another bird species can occupy the cactus hole. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/eTqrsfyx #GoPublicGardens #PublicGarden #PublicGardens #glendale #glendaleaz #glendalearizona #arizona #xeriscapedemonstrationgarden #cactus #cacti

We have a few more beautiful highlights we wanted to share with you from our tour of Tucson Botanical Gardens last Friday. The weather warmed up and the bees were enjoying the sunshine. The Great Garden Express was enjoyed by those of all ages! You can walk below some of the elevated tracks as the trains zip by and spot mini models of the beloved Arizona landscape and National Park landmarks. The Garden will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year and we will tell you more when the time comes. We were grateful to be there during the start of such an incredible milestone. Katie Rogerson, Director of Education & Public Engagement, gave some APGA staff members the tour. We learned that it could take a saguaro cactus 50 to 75 years to grow its first arm. This means that a saguaro cactus typically begins to grow arms between 50 to 70 years of age. We also had the pleasure of warming up inside the Cox Butterfly and Orchid Pavillion. The butterflies made you feel like a child again marveling over their brilliant-colored wings and the way they fly around you. This unique exhibit will go through May 31, 2025. The greenhouse features 30-50 different butterfly species that are native of Costa Rica, South America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Learn more and plan your visit here: https://lnkd.in/egnHZDX4 #GoPublicGardens #PublicGarden #PublicGardens #tucsonbotanicalgardens #tucson #tucsonaz #tucsonarizona #desertphoto #desertphotos #desertphotography #desertpics #cactus #cacti

Thank you so much to the team at Tucson Botanical Gardens for giving APGA staff and some of our Board members a memorable tour last Friday! We loved to learn more about the history of your Garden and about the native cacti and trees that thrive in desert climates. We specifically want to thank, Katie Rogerson (Director of Education & Public Engagement), Adam Farrell-Wortman (Director of Horticulture), and Laura Leach (Director of Development and Marketing). We look forward to returning in the near future! #GoPublicGardens #PublicGarden #PublicGardens #tucsonbotanicalgardens #tucson #tucsonaz #tucsonarizona #desertphoto #desertphotos #desertphotography #desertpics #cactus #cacti

#TuesdayTip - "He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me!" The classic way of plucking poor daisy petals to determine if someone loves you dates back many centuries ago and seen in cartoons and movies through the years. Since today is National Daisy Day, we have a few fun facts and tips for growing these lovely flowers in your garden. Daisies tend to bloom during the early summer and continue to grow through the fall. They grow nearly everywhere, and their name originates from the Old England Phrase "Daes eage," which translates to "day's eye." The name was inspired by the way these delicate flowers seem to close their petals over their "eye" and reopen each morning upon sunrise. Pollinators love daisies because they contain hundreds of flowers that create a cluster called inflorescence making it easier for bees in particular to gather a lot of pollen from one landing. Daisies require full sunlight when they are planted in a garden with well-drained soil. Be sure to water them regularly but not too much water. You could add mulch around the daisies to retain moisture. Facts were found on Better Homes & Gardens website. #GoPublicGardens #PublicGarden #PublicGardens #nationaldaisyday #daisy #daisies #tip #tiptuesday #tuesdaytips #gardentip