Don’t have a favorite public garden? Don’t worry, we’ll help you find one or two!
In honor of the American Public Gardens Association’s GO PUBLIC GARDENS DAYS, an annual celebration of public gardens that will be held this year from May 7-16, All-America Selections has asked our Judges, our horticulture experts to share their favorite public gardens.
Public Gardens are one of this planet’s great treasures.
Up until the COVID pandemic, attendance at public gardens was steadily increasing year over year. In fact, according to the American Public Gardens Association, in 2017 1 out of 6 people had visited a public garden. Collectively, public gardens received about 120 million visitors a year, almost as much as all professional sports combined (NHL+NBA+NFL+MLB)! As gardens are able to re-open and allow more guests, this year will likely see a surge in public garden attendance.
Add these gardens to your bucket list of “Places I Want to Visit”
And to see even more gardens, look through these 200 AAS Display Gardens. You might just find a gem that you’ve never heard of before.
- I have had the pleasure of visiting many public gardens throughout the US, and each one had something really special or unique to it. Is it a cop-out to pick my own garden, Boerner Botanical Gardens? If yes, then I would say Atlanta Botanical Garden or Missouri Botanical Garden. Both of these gardens I have toured many times in different seasons and both are worth the visit anytime of the year. ~Jessica Cloninger
- I’m partial to the Missouri Botanical Garden. There is a really high level of effort put into its establishment and diverse displays. ~David Czarnecki
- This is a difficult choice to make, but I think I’d probably choose Chanticleer in Wayne, Pennsylvania, although the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh is a close second. Chanticleer is a beautiful and remarkable garden made so by the talents and visions of the gardeners and because of the freedom given to them to be creative designers and exceptional plantsmen. Of course, you don’t need to know all that to see and enjoy the unique beauty of Chanticleer. ~Richard Hawke
- Many are favorites but Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania and of course our Denver Botanic Garden are my top two favorites. ~James E. Klett
- One of my favorite public gardens is the Michigan State University Horticulture Garden. I attended MSU as a graduate student and would pass through the gardens each day on my way to work in a nearby building. In the warmer months, I would often take lunch on a bench in the rose garden or sit beneath a tree to read for class. I loved watching the gardens change with the seasons and am glad that the community could enjoy it as well. ~Kristen Noble
- I wouldn’t limit myself to only one favorite, but I would love to see Brooklyn Botanic Garden in New York. ~Kelley Dunn
- Keukenhof in the springtime. Who could not be happy with all that splendid color!? ~Barbara Park
- I love the University of California Berkeley Botanical Garden. Not only is it a fabulous collection, and well maintained, it hosts many related workshops. I am also an artist and have been fortunate to take classes in botanical illustrating and nature/plant drawing in this garden. I’ve learned Japanese brush painting here too. ~Teresa Bunn
- I would say that my visit to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville NC would be at the top of my list. Just the depth and breadth of what there is to see is impressive. ~Dennis Ferlito
- The Gardens at Hildene, Lincoln Family Home, Manchester Vermont. The gardens are amazing and all at the top of the mountain with breathtaking views. ~Sarah Barbour
- The Montreal Botanical Garden, many different themes, diverse greenhouses, and an insectarium. Also, it is where my wife and I went for our honeymoon! ~Robert Durgy
- The Huntington Library Botanical Gardens in Los Angeles. It was my first in-person garden tour that really impressed me. Their Japanese Garden is especially well done. ~Keith Lewis
Which favorite public gardens would you recommend?
“This post is provided as an education/inspirational service of All-America Selections. Please credit and link to All-America Selections when using all or parts of this article.”
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