Press Releases from Greater Philadelphia Gardens

Philadelphia, PA. – Greater Philadelphia Gardens, the non-profit collaborative of 30 public gardens within 30 miles of Philadelphia welcomes the arrival and visitor impact of the American Public Garden Association conference to Philadelphia June 21-25, 2011.

“The greater Philadelphia area has more public gardens and arboreta than anywhere else on the continent,” states R. William Thomas, executive director of Chanticleer, and chair of Greater Philadelphia Gardens, the non-profit consortium of “30 public gardens within 30 miles of Philadelphia”. Thomas wants the world to see the pleasures and educational purposes of Greater Philadelphia’s 30 public gardens ...in America’s Garden Capital, and he’s not alone.

This week, Greater Philadelphia Gardens’ 30 member public gardens are all participating as host gardens, workshop presenters, event organizers, volunteers and more in the American Public Garden Associations’ annual trade conference being held at the Loews hotel in Philadelphia this week (June 21-25, 2011). If ever the region’s public gardens were ready for visitors, it’s this week, when over 600 visitors are expected to attend the APGA conference in Philadelphia, and to visit the area best known among attendees for its richly diverse horticulture.

The 2011 American Public Garden Association (APGA) conference , which runs five (5) full days in Philadelphia (June 21-25) is its longest to date. Appropriately named MORE, the 2011 APGA conference title is also a nod to this region’s deep and diverse horticulture history, institutions, experts, events, exhibits, visitors, and public gardens.

About Greater Philadelphia Gardens

Greater Philadelphia Gardens is a nonprofit collaboration that serves to raise awareness, education and visitation of the Greater Philadelphia region’s public gardens and arboreta.

In the early 1980s, several public garden leaders volunteered together to jointly promote all area public gardens and encourage visitors. That public garden collaborative was one of the first of its kind in the country.

Re-established in 2007 under new leadership, today Greater Philadelphia Gardens’ 30 public garden members attract three million visitors each year. As the host to more public gardens and arboreta than anywhere else on the continent, as well as much of the nation’s horticultural history, the region is internationally recognized and promoted by the consortium as “America’s Garden Capital.”

For more information on Greater Philadelphia Gardens or any of the 30 members’ upcoming events, workshops, activities, and visitor information, visit the website www.GreaterPhiladelphiaGardens.org and sign up for its newsletter and Facebook, too.

About Greater Philadelphia Gardens’ Executive Committee

The collaborative non-profit was re-ignited in 2007 with a renewed commitment to promote the area’s public gardens and arboreta. The public garden leaders who serve on the organization’s executive committee today include: Greater Philadelphia Gardens’ chair, R. William Thomas, Executive Director of Chanticleer ; Jacob Thomas, Director of the Arboretum of The Barnes Foundation; Louise R. Turan, Executive Director of Bartram’s Garden , Howard Holden, Director of Facilities, Cabrini College; Paul Redman, Executive Director of Longwood Gardens; Paul Meyer, Executive Director of the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania; Rick Lewandowski, Executive Director of Mt Cuba Center; Drew Becher, President of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society; Claire Sawyers, Director of the Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College; and Chris Strand, Director of Garden & Estate, Winterthur Museum & Country Estate.

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Louise R. Eliason

(302)654-9565

Coordinator
Greater Philadelphia Gardens