Sep 13, 2019

Gardening for a Cause By Jasmina Dolce

Gardening has multiple purposes and benefits — therapy being one of the most notable. The act of gardening allows us to nurture and keeps us connected to living things. It helps us relax and is often an outlet to vent our sorrows and frustrations.

To promote gardening and its value, the National Garden Bureau began its Therapeutic Garden Grant program in 2014 to support therapeutic gardens across North America. In 2019, NGB, American Meadows and Sakata Seed America are partnering to provide $5,000 in grant money to be split among three therapeutic gardens. Corona Tools, a new sponsor of this program, will donate garden tools to each of the three garden finalists.

Voting is now open, and consumers and industry members are encouraged to visit the NGB website and vote for the most deserving therapeutic garden.

The first place winner of the online voting will receive $3,000 from the program to enhance the garden’s good works and continue its mission. Second and third place winners will receive $1,000 each.

After reviewing all applications, NGB has narrowed the list of finalists to the following three gardening programs:

• Opportunity Knocks, Knockout Farm in Maywood, Illinois
• The Creative Therapy and Healing Gardens at Magee Rehab Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Wilmot Botanical Gardens at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida

To learn more about the finalists, click here.

Online voting can be accessed at https://ngb.org/therapeutic-garden-contest/ until September 23. Before voting, be sure to view the videos created by the three finalists explaining why their garden should receive the National Garden Bureau’s Therapeutic Garden Grant.