Civic Engagement to Strengthen and Support Public Gardens
Woodland garden path at Dunn Gardens, Seattle, WA
Amidst a stunning display of rhododendrons, azaleas, woodland plants, and stately fir and deciduous trees, the Garden Conservancy Northwest Network (GCNN) convened at historic Dunn Gardens in Seattle, Washington for its Spring Workshop on May 2 The topic, Garden Advocacy & Civic Engagement, brought together experts in advocacy and communications including former Congresswoman Ruth Kagi of the Washington State House of Representatives and leadership from Inspire Washington, Nonprofit Association of Washington, the Ostara Group, and Ballard P-Patch, a community garden with over 100-years of agricultural history. Using real-life examples and practical applications, we identified strategies that support relationship-building with community leaders and beyond. This includes what gardens can do to influence public policy and empower their leaders to develop advocacy plans and craft unique messages for funders and lawmakers that amplify a garden’s mission and community value.
Advocacy is critical to preservation, and this workshop underscored the importance of connecting with elected officials at every level to increase awareness of gardens as cultural resources. For some nonprofits, advocacy initiatives are conceived during crises, but building meaningful relationships can help safeguard nonprofits from various threats before they occur. With public gardens, advocacy can help mitigate a lack of funding, the affects of climate change, encroaching development, and low engagement. Advocacy does not have to be monumental; starting small and building relationships at the local level is both attainable and empowering!
GCNN members touring Dunn Gardens, Seattle, WA
Pacific Northwest garden expert Tanya DeMarsh Dodson led a tour that highlighted the landscape’s rich history. Designed by the Olmsted firm in 1915 for Arthur Dunn, several parcels were combined using a trail system that emphasized natural features and views of the Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains. Listed on the National and State Register of Historic Places, Dunn Gardens is the only public garden in Washington that gives visitors an experience of Olmsted’s’ design ethos and vision for a private estate. It is also home to two of the state’s largest magnolia trees: the Cucumber Magnolia,  M. acuminata and Sargent's Magnolia, Magnolia sargentiana var. robusta.
Following Arthur’s death in 1945, his son Edward cultivated a woodland garden that he tended for nearly 50 years. The space reflects Edward’s expertise as a plantsman and authority on native plants in the region. Inspired by Robinsonian gardening principles which emphasized natural over highly stylized landscapes, heintegrated native plants with a diversity of counterpoints from the American East Coast to design an artful recreation of a natural woodland. The juxtaposition of Olmsted’s design ethic with Dunn’s vision for a natural, yet cultivated woodland is key to the garden’s historic significance. The preservation of this duality by the Garden’s stewards provides critical insight into preserving authenticity and design intent over time.
Frederick Law Olmsted championed parks and natural spaces as a necessity in any democratic society for the betterment and enjoyment of all. This ethos is palpable in the Pacific Northwest where outdoor recreation is today a key part of the region’s culture, even influencing business and political decisions. Gardens contribute to this culture and represent our shared heritage. At Dunn Gardens, the historic landscape is also a piece of living art.
It is our civic responsibility to preserve gardens and support their role as critical cultural and heritage institutions for future generations. The Garden Conservancy is energized to build upon this advocacy workshop and enhance its role through the GCNN as an advocate for public gardens in the heritage, tourism, and funding, and political sectors. The GCNN will convene again this summer for virtual learning opportunities.
For more information or to become a member of GCNN, visit: gardenconservancy/ northwestnetwork.