National Garden Bureau Hits Membership Milestone

National Garden Bureau (NGB), the non-profit, membership-based organization that promotes gardening on behalf of the horticulture industry, recently marked a significant milestone as it welcomed its 100^th member — an all-time high!

The membership increase is attributed to the organization’s influence on a consumer community that continues to grow year after year.

“NGB’s membership has been on the rise for several years now as millennials and the next generation of gardeners seek information to help them succeed in their gardening pursuits. NGB’s goal has always been to help ALL gardeners be successful and, as our website mission states, ‘Inspire. Connect. Grow.’” said Tim Hodson, NGB president. “Our continued growth is a reflection of how the horticulture industry is eager to help people pursue their passion and achieve their gardening goals.”

NGB’s growing sphere of influence includes:

• 920,000 monthly Pinterest views
• 250,000+ website visitors per year
• 60,000 social media followers
• 25,000-name email database

In 2020, National Garden Bureau’s will celebrate its 100-year anniversary.  The inspiration of James H. Burdett, a newspaper journalist and seed company ad manager, National Garden Bureau was born in the wake of World War I. Perceiving an increased need for basic gardening instruction, Burdett enlisted horticulture writers and broadcasters in a noble effort of mass education to create a population of informed gardeners.

NGB really came of age during World War II when the government encouraged homeowners to grow Victory Gardens. By means of posters and other materials promoting “Beauty and Abundance in Your Garden,” NGB promoted gardening on the home front. The postwar years saw an emphasis on community beautification and NGB responded with films, brochures, programs, and information sheets to help gardening communicators further this cause among the public. Incorporation as a not-for-profit organization soon followed.

Today, National Garden Bureau is a 501c non-profit organization that exists to educate, inspire, and motivate people to increase the use of plants in homes, gardens, and workplaces. NGB is the marketing arm of the gardening industry. NGB members are experts in the field of horticulture and gardening information comes directly from those sources.

Key NGB Educational and Promotional Programs include:

• A well-known and often-searched, New Varieties program, both online and at GardenComm’s Annual Conference & Expo
• “Year of the” — an extensive marketing program for annuals, perennials, edibles, bulbs and now flowering shrubs
• Therapeutic Garden Grants for deserving gardens
• The brand new “Combination Ideas” program
• An innovative and inspiring website

Membership categories include:

• Retail Seed Companies
• Breeders
• Wholesalers
• Hard Good Manufacturers/Retailers
• Authors, Podcasters, Online Instructors
• Publishers

All NGB members can be found in the online Membership Directory, many of who have been members of the organization for 25+ years.

All members who sell direct to consumers can be found in the online “Shop Our Members” page.

To join in the celebration and reap the benefits of membership, contact Diane Blazek or Gail Pabst for more details.