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Nationwide, We Bring People into Gardens
Participation in our 2009 Open Days Program has been gratifying, particularly in this time when Americans are making studied choices about allocating their time and resources. This enthusiasm is one measure of the too often unsung important place gardens have in our personal and cultural life.
Since the start of the 2009 season April 4 in Vero Beach, Florida, thousands of returning visitors and new audiences in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Erie, Pennsylvania, have embraced the opportunities offered by Open Days to explore garden treasures close to home, meet talented and knowledgeable gardeners, and learn about the Garden Conservancy and our work. The support we receive from partners and sponsors helps to make Open Days a successful national program that in turn provides revenue and public awareness crucial for our preservation work.
This year, the Garden Conservancy collaborated with the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA), which promotes drought-tolerant gardens in its region, to produce our first-ever Open Day in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hundreds of visitors, including Garden Conservancy president Antonia Adezio, toured a selection of the best water-conserving gardens recognized by SNWA and saw first-hand the success that determined gardeners can have in such a challenging region.
W. Atlee Burpee and Company returned as presenting sponsor of the Open Days Program, hosting four events at the company’s historic home, Fordhook Farm, in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and offering three opportunities to visit its Heronswood Nursery in Kingston, Washington.
Garden Design magazine signed on as our national media sponsor and featured a four-page Open Days season preview in their April issue. They have also given us valuable photographic support by providing images of some of our preservation project gardens.
This season’s Open Days Program concluded on November 1 in Westchester County, New York. Check back on our 2010 Schedule for updates to the proposed 2010 list of dates.
Admission to each participating private garden is $5 per person; children 12 and under are admitted free. Open Days are rain or shine events and no reservations are required.
