National Garden Week

From bright flowering plants to vegetables, from fruit vines to trees, growing a garden can be extremely satisfying and also delicious – depending on what is planted, of course. National Garden Week encourages people of all ages to spend time in the garden, whether their own, a family member’s or a community garden. Show some love for the earth in celebration of this ecological, sustainable event! 

History of National Garden Week

National Garden Week was founded in the early 1980s when it came up as a bill in the US Congress. The organization called National Garden Clubs, Inc. had a hand in petitioning for the event and, by 1986, the week was proclaimed by US President Ronald Reagan and the first official event took place the following year. Originally the event took place during the second week of April, but eventually the National Garden Clubs moved it to the first week in June, where it has remained every year since.

Although many gardeners will have already gotten started with their planting, whether fostering seeds indoors in the earlier spring months or planting outside during May, National Garden Week provides opportunities for people to continue to plant, cultivate and grow a wide range of native species in their area.

Whether a novice to the hobby or an avid, experienced gardener, National Garden Week is a great time to get outdoors, dig in the dirt, and see what delightful things will grow from it!

How to Celebrate National Garden Week

Join a Gardening Club

An excellent way to share knowledge and resources about gardening is by joining up with a local group of women and men who love to garden. Enjoy learning from experts and hobbyists, trading tips and tricks, and making new friends who love to garden. Plus, a gardening club is an ideal way to share plant cuttings, seedlings and more – whether during National Garden Week or any week of the year!

Share the Love for Gardens

Letting more people know about National Garden Week is a great time to include more people in the fun and beautiful hobby of gardening. Gather with like-minded gardening friends and plan to host a flower show, inviting the neighborhood community. Create posters promoting the week and place them in public spaces. Or make a post on social media to remind the wider word that it’s time for National Garden Week!

Host a Gardening Party

Most people have heard of a garden party, but what about a gardening party? Specifically, a container gardening party can be great even for those who don’t have a lot of (or any!) space around their homes. A container garden works on a patio, balcony or front stoop to foster beautiful flowers without much maintenance or difficulty. At the party, everyone can bring a container with some gardening gloves, perhaps enjoying a glass of wine while planting some cuttings of different greenery or flowers.

Other events that take place throughout the year around the theme of gardens include Community Garden Week in early April,  National Gardening Day in mid-April and National Children’s Gardening Week celebrated in late May.