National Public Gardens Day 2013

Celebrate With Us!

Scheduled for the Friday before Mother’s Day, National Public Gardens Day will take place on May 10, 2013.

Promotional Materials

As the date nears, there will be customizable materials available on this page to help you communicate the program to your community. Please click here to download the National Public Gardens Day logo.

This zipped package includes a.jpg file and a transparent background .png file for your use.

Join the Conversation by Telling Us What You are Doing!

Visit Nationalpublicgardensday.org, the official National Public Gardens Day website, and tell us what you are doing to celebrate National Public Gardens Day by going to the website at http://www.nationalpublicgardensday.org/discover/ and submitting your information to be included in the garden search
Join us on social media by interacting on our Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/npgd);,Twitter feed (http://www.twitter.com/npgd), with the #NPGD hashtag, and Pinterest boards (http://pinterest.com/nationalgardens/)
Post to the official National Public Gardens Day Facebook Page

More Ways To Participate

There are many ways a Garden can participate in National Public Gardens Day! Choose the options that are best for your Garden or create your own signature celebration.

Free AdmissionPass Program

Invite the public to visit the garden by participating in the NPGD free admission pass promotion. Gardens who choose to participate will honor the NPGD Free Admission Pass on May 10, 2013. In Partnership with Rain Bird and Better Homes and Gardens.
To participate email us at BHG@publicgardens.org.

Community Involvement

Involve the community as well as elected officials and other community leaders. Examples:

Contact local officials for a groundbreaking, special tree planting, ribbon-cutting, commendation, or a National Public Gardens Day proclamation;
Partner with local nurseries to cross-promote National Public Gardens Day;

Communication

Communicate National Public Gardens Day to your internal and external network to drive awareness and interest. Activities can include:

Press release on the activities for the day;
Alerting the local print, radio, and TV media about your day’s activities;
E-mail to membership;
Information sent via website, blog, newsletter, and social media;
Place national public service announcements with local media outlets and on garden website.

Local Charity Partnership

Partner with a local charity, non-profit, or community organization such as children’s hospitals. Examples:

Ask the public to bring flowers for a discounted admission, then send the flowers to your children’s hospital so the children can give them to their mothers on Mother’s Day;
Charity Makeover: Garden specialists go to a school or community institution to put in a garden.

Align Existing Events

Schedule existing events or have those already in the works link with National Public Gardens Day, leveraging the day. Example: Schedule a plant sale on May 10, and call it the National Public Gardens Day Plant Sale.

Promote Environmental Awareness

Implement programs that invite the public to do something in support of the garden’s conservation and sustainability message. Examples:

Water-Saving Pledge: Invite the public to pledge to save a certain amount of water for the next year, and then place water-droplet-shaped pledge cards on a wall to publicly display how much water will be saved;
E-Recycle Day: Ask the public to bring electronic waste such as printers, computers, old cell phones, etc., for free admission, and then deliver the waste to a recycling organization;
Water Conservation Guided Tours: Give free tours to show homeowners places in the garden that demonstrate water conservation, and instruct them on how to implement the same techniques in their own yards.

Contests

Let your visitors know to take pictures on National Public Gardens Day to enter our national photo contest! Or Create a contest or competition to coincide with the day!

School District Partnership

Work with local school districts to invite schools to participate in an official field day at the garden on National Public Gardens Day. Activities can include:

Garden-oriented crafts;
Treasure hunt where students can discover educational locations within the garden;
Storytelling in the garden.

Special Events and Give Aways

Throw a special event just for National Public Gardens Day and invite the public through your internal communications network and through the media. Offer a free gift such as seed packets or how about cupcakes?