Second Place Winner

Green Bay Botanical Garden in Green Bay, Wisconsin

Category 3: Over 100,000 Visitors

Highlighting food, creativity, and community, the 2026 Partnership Garden display at the Green Bay Botanical Garden demonstrated how gardening nourishes beyond the harvest. Designed by Seasonal Gardener Amanda Hatton, the project brought “The Goodness of Gardening” to life through playful, educational themes that captivated visitors—even winning over out-of-state guests. The design featured “pizza beds” combining All-America Selections (AAS) tomatoes, peppers, and basil with slice-shaped ladder trellises, alongside T-shaped tea beds showcasing chamomile, lemon balm, and natural blue-tea plants. Emphasizing sustainability, the garden prioritized resourcefulness over expensive new materials, creatively upcycling props, structures, and bulb bags from previous seasons. Visitors easily accessed plant information on-site via AAS QR codes.

Beyond aesthetics, the garden fostered deep community connection. The harvested produce was donated to Paul’s Pantry, while volunteers from Aspiro—an organization supporting individuals with disabilities—helped cultivate the space throughout the season. By blending upcycled design, interactive food themes, and meaningful local partnerships, the 2026 display proved that gardening transcends barriers to bring people together. The project successfully educated guests on sustainable practices while showing that impactful gardening relies on creativity and resourcefulness rather than store-bought supplies.