GARDEN PRESERVATION

Preserving a garden begins with recognizing that landscapes are works of art, nature, culture, and history that are constantly evolving. The Garden Conservancy’s preservation work focuses on capturing a garden’s stories that will be meaningful for generations to come.

We do this by partnering with nonprofits and community-based organizations to:

Restore historic gardens

Document the spirit of gardens

Establish conservation easements

Advocate for gardens at risk

Develop educational programming

Foster organizational development to help our partners thrive as independent entities

Since 1989, The Garden Conservancy has contributed to preservation efforts at more than 100 gardens across America Each garden has unique characteristics and challenges Together, they represent the broad range and rich diversity of garden types on our continent, as well as the distinctive character and rich cultural legacy of America’s gardens

On rare occasions, we also assist a private garden in becoming a public garden When assessing the feasibility of such a transition, we consider the garden’s legacy, resources, and context Within these categories, we ask the following questions:

Legacy

What makes a garden significant or worthy of preservation? Does it have a unique or iconic design, or a horticulturally noteworthy plant collection? Does the designer or creator of the garden or the site itself have historic or cultural significance?

Resources

Both human and financial resources are necessary for the ongoing success of a public garden. Are there dedicated staff, volunteers, and board members who have relevant experience and skills? Is there an endowment or donor base in place, or the ability to build one, that will provide sustainable support? Is there a viable source of earned income from programming, sales, and visitation?

Context

The context of a garden includes its physical location as well as various cultural and demographic characteristics. Is there sufficient population density to support the garden? Easy access for visitors, including public transportation and adequate parking space? Potential for partnerships with other cultural institutions? Does the community show support for their cultural resources?

Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, the Conservancy nimbly adapted to develop new ways to support our partner gardens as they navigated “pandemic conditions” and faced the challenges of sustaining their gardens through this uncertain time We have hosted regular Zoom “coffee hours” for our partner garden community to provide a gathering space and networking opportunities for garden directors nationwide facing similar obstacles Together, we shared resources and insights about managing staffing, continuing to serve our communities, and discussed plans for reopening gardens

Acknowledging that our connections with the living environment are more important than ever, the Conservancy is grateful to be an anchor for our national community of partner gardens and to embrace the opportunity to create new resources to address their changing needs Moving forward, the Conservancy is developing new programs to support smaller rehabilitation projects and sponsoring internships at our partner gardens for projects relating to the garden’s preservation, documentation, interpretation, educational programming, or rehabilitation efforts