Jun 2, 2017

NGB Therapeutic Garden Grant Applications Due July 1

The deadline to apply for the National Garden Bureau’s therapeutic garden grants program is July 1.

This year NGB and Sakata Seed America have partnered to provide $5,000 in grant money to be split among three therapeutic gardens in North America.

Applications are now being accepted from therapeutic gardens that meet the following criteria:

1. Have a defined program using the garden to further particular goals for participants led by a qualified leader. Examples include horticultural therapy, occupational, physical, vocational or rehabilitation therapy in a garden setting or using gardening to promote positive social relationships within a community.
2. Offer a nature experience/interface for population served, including, but not limited to veterans, special-needs children or young adults, the elderly and/or those recuperating from specific injuries or addictions.
3. Be used for job-training, skill-building or food growing for at-risk youth, veterans or the elderly.
4. Involve a large number of gardeners, clients, patients, visitors or students on a monthly basis.

To apply, therapeutic garden applicants should determine that they meet the criteria as outlined here then complete this application and submit it to the NGB office by the deadline of July 1.

In July/August, a group of horticulture therapy experts will narrow down applications to three finalists. Those three finalists will then be asked to submit a one-minute video that will be posted on www.ngb.org. All involved parties will solicit feedback from the public, using social media, to vote on the garden they wish to receive the grants. The top vote-getter will receive $3,000, second and third place will receive $1,000 each.

The panel of experts to determine the three garden finalists are:

• Patty Cassidy, registered horticultural therapist, American Horticultural Therapy Association board member and secretary
• Barbara Kreski, director of horticultural therapy services, Chicago Botanic Garden
• Julie Tracy, president, Julie+Michael Tracy Family Foundation/Growing Solutions Farm
• Heather Kibble, president, National Garden Bureau, Home Garden Vegetables Division Manager, Sakata Seed America

For more information about this project or National Garden Bureau, visit www.ngb.org, and follow National Garden Bureau on social media.