April is National Garden Month!
April is National Garden Month!
Nothing says springtime more than the sprouts and shoots of a garden. Back in the 1980s, the National Garden Bureau worked with 23 cosponsoring national horticultural organizations to legislate National Garden Week, and in 1986 President Reagan signed the Proclamation. In 2002, the National Gardening Association resolved to extend the celebration to encompass the entire month of April. The Agricultural Secretary Vilsack declared April 2015 as National Garden Month. The official proclamation celebrates the great American tradition of gardening at home, at school and in the community and has continued since then.
All gardeners know the innumerable benefits that gardening brings to people and their communities, and this is a month where we can spread that message to those who aren’t directly involved. All around the country, educational activities, public events, government proclamations, local plant sales and swaps, and garden center seminars, are all occurring this month, building excitement and increasing participation in gardening. Gardens are not just an oasis for people. They are critical habitats for pollinators like bees, bats, birds, beetles, butterflies, and other animals.
Take some time this month to engage your family, friends, and neighbors in gardening. For small children: grow a hideout by planting sunflowers in the shape of a secret hideaway house. Get outside and garden with your family. Make a window box salad garden, find new ways to be green this month, garden in the city or the country, and read all about the All-America Selections winners, and much more.
The USDA’s commitment to gardening has deep roots. The People's Garden | USDA was launched in 2009. The People’s Garden community connects gardens across the country that produce local food, practice sustainability, and bring people together in their community. People’s Gardens can take many different forms; they can include:
Food-producing gardens
Wildlife habitat
Conservation or beautification projects
Education and training spaces
Register and join the People’s Garden community to learn from other gardens and share experiences, challenges, and successes. The Plant Hardiness Zone Map, developed by USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, is a go-to guide for gardeners across the nation. Have a gardening question? Visit People’s Garden Webinars | USDA for further education about how to garden.
https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2015/04/17/april-national-garden-month
April is National Garden Month! - National Garden Bureau (ngb.org)