National Public Gardens Day

National Public Gardens Day, occurring annually on the Friday before Mother's Day, is a day to promote awareness of botanic gardens, arboreta, zoos, historic gardens, or any of North America's public gardens. The day was established by the American Public Gardens Association, a Pennsylvania non-profit organization that supports, resources and promotes public gardens in North America.[1]

National Public Gardens Day
Observed byNorth America
TypeCultural
SignificanceCelebrate and Recognize Botanic Gardens, Arboreta, and Public Gardens
CelebrationsOver 600 member gardens throughout North America
DateFriday before Mother's Day (second Sunday in May)
2020 dateMay 8
2021 dateMay 7
2022 dateMay 6
2023 dateMay 12
Frequencyannual

Activities

Members of the American Public Gardens Association celebrated National Public Gardens Day beginning in 2009 with activities that varied by garden. The Atlanta Botanical Garden invited visitors to bring flowers so that they could be put into arrangements for patients and their families at Children's Hospital[2] The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona, asked visitors to pledge to conserve water, displaying 400 five-gallon water containers that pledgers could adopt.[3] National spokesperson Paul James visited media gardens, speaking with the public and media about the role public gardens play in the local community.[4]

In 2010, Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate about the importance of recognizing National Public Gardens Day, listing the US Botanic Garden and gardens in Illinois as examples.[5]

History

Created in 2009, in partnership with sponsor, Rain Bird, as a way to increase public awareness of the educational resources public gardens provide to local communities, National Public Gardens Day was adopted by the members of the American Public Gardens Association, to highlight programs such as plant conservation, water conservation, the preservation of green spaces, and home gardening.

The national spokesperson for National Public Gardens Day was Paul James, host of HGTV's Gardening By The Yard.

Recognition

National Public Gardens Day has been recognized by various levels of government:

References
  1. The American Public Gardens Association, American Public Gardens Association to Designate May 7, 2010, as the Second Annual National Public Gardens Day, APGA Press Release, 2010.
  2. Atlanta On The Cheap. "50% off Admission to the Atlanta Botanical Garden on Friday & Gardens for Connoisseurs Tour this Weekend", .
  3. "ABC 15. "Desert Botanical Garden joins National Public Gardens Day."". Archived from the original on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2011-02-10.
  4. LaCrosse Tribune. "Don't Overlook Public Gardens." .
  5. Congressional Record S3353. Recognizing National Public Gardens Day. May 6, 2010.
  6. The Office of Mayor Michael A. Nutter, The City of Philadelphia, National Public Gardens Day Proclamation," May 8, 2009.
  7. The Office of Mayor Tom Leppert, The City of Dallas, "National Public Gardens Day Proclamation," May 8, 2009.
  8. Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden Archived 2012-03-06 at the Wayback Machine
  9. The Office of the Governor, Jack A. Markell, The State of Delaware, "National Public Gardens Day Proclamation," May 8, 2009.
  10. The Office of the Town Manager, The Town of Framingham, "National Public Gardens Day Proclamation," May 8, 2009.
  11. State Assembly Member Adams, California State Assembly, "House Resolution #13", May 8. 2009.
  12. The Office of Governor Arnold Swcharzenegger, The State of California, "Commendation of National Public Gardens Day," May 8, 2009.
  13. The Florida State Senate, Senate 2816: Relating to National Public Gardens Day, 2010.
  14. The Architect of the Capital, Resolution for National Public Gardens Day, US Congress, 2010.
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