Public Programs
We organize and cosponsor lectures, symposia, webinars, garden tours, and Open Days across the country. Many of our programs are presented in partnership with public gardens, our preservation garden partners, and other like-minded organizations. Through all our educational programs, we work to raise awareness of the important role gardens play in America's history, culture, and quality of life.
National Speaking Tour
The Garden Conservancy National Speaking Tour brings leading thinkers and practitioners within the world of gardening to audiences throughout the US. Since 2018, we have brought leading scholars, authors, and experts in the fields of design, history, research, and preservation, to numerous locations so that their work can be shared with the public. Education is a key component of our mission, and through these annual events, we aim to inspire and engage those who have a passion for gardens and want to know further about the benefits that they bring to our lives.
Virtual Programs
The Garden Conservancy virtual programs offer the public opportunities for online engagement with the world of gardening including new publications, research, and in-depth explorations of specific sites. We presented our first webinar series, Gardens for a Changing World, in partnership with Lord Cultural Resources in 2020. We have continued this tradition yearly since then.
Garden Masters Series
Garden Masters Series programs are connoisseur-level educational events at exclusive and significant landscapes. They offer in-depth study opportunities that bring garden enthusiasts together with experts in horticulture and design. While meeting new friends, program participants are offered bespoke experiences to explore the philosophy of garden creation, design theory, and diverse gardening traditions.
Garden Futures Grants
The Garden Conservancy awards Garden Futures Grants for small public gardens and other nonprofit organizations that make a significant impact in their communities through garden-based programming or the study and preservation of garden history. Through this program, we celebrate and highlight the work of innovative and diverse gardening practices throughout the United States.
Garden Futures Grants are for general operating support and typically range from $2,500 to $10,000. Organizations with an annual operating budget of $1 million or less will be prioritized. Organizations must either be a 501(c)3 OR apply through a fiscal sponsor that is exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code to be considered.
In 2024, we awarded $152,000 to twenty-three organizations across the country. Part of our Garden Futures Grants program, the Page Dickey Grant for American Gardens is an endowed grant of $10,000, awarded each year to a distinguished small public garden. All grant decisions are made with the assistance of our 2024 Grant Program Advisory Committee.
Lectures & Symposiums
As part of the Garden Conservancy's mission to preserve, share, and celebrate America's gardens and diverse gardening traditions for the education and inspiration of the public, we organize and cosponsor lectures, symposia, webinars, garden tours, and Open Days across the country. Many of the programs are presented in partnership with public gardens, our preservation garden partners, and other like-minded organizations. Through all of our educational programs, we work to raise awareness of the important role gardens play in America's history, culture, and quality of life.
Thank you to our sponsors!
The Garden Conservancy educational programs are made possible in part by the Coleman and Susan Burke Distinguished Lecture Fund, Courtnay and Terrence Daniels, the Lenhardt Education Fund, and Susan and William McKinley.
Additional support is provided by The Celia Hegyi Matching Challenge Grant, Ritchie Battle, the Antonia Breck Fund, Camille Butrus, Michelle and Perry Griffith, Rise S. Johnson, The Krehbiel Family Foundation, Sleepy Cat Farm Foundation, and John S. Troy, FASLA.
Stay Up To Date
Sign up and get the latest information on Open Days, special events and more.
Support Our Mission
Your support is critical to the efforts of The Garden Conservancy to preserve, share and celebrate America's gardens for generations to come.