What Is the American Public Gardens Association (APGA) Website?

Updated

publicgardens.org is the website of the American Public Gardens Association (APGA), a membership association that describes itself as championing and advancing nearly 600 public gardens in North America and internationally. Use the site if you want to find a public garden, explore plant collections, read industry content, browse events, or learn about joining the association. It is an association and resource hub, not a single garden's visitor page.

What the Organization Does

APGA frames its mission around three verbs: it connects, protects, and champions public gardens. Its stated work spans programs, advocacy, staff and leadership, and collaboration with industry partners. The site also publishes a definition of "public garden" that sets the scope of the field it represents:

A public garden is an institution that maintains plants for the purposes of public education and enjoyment, in addition to research, conservation, and higher learning. It must be open to the public and the garden's resources and accommodations must be made to all visitors.

That definition is useful if you are unsure whether a site or venue you are looking at counts as a public garden in APGA's sense — public access and accommodation for all visitors are part of the criteria, not just plant collections.

What You Can Do on the Site

Resource What it offers Best for
Interactive Garden Map Search and find gardens in America Planning a visit or locating gardens nearby
Plant Collections Network Showcase of collections held by member institutions Researchers, plant enthusiasts, collection managers
Public Garden Magazine Current content devoted to the public garden world Professionals and serious hobbyists
Career Center Position openings and career-oriented resources for public horticulture Job seekers and employers in the field
Plant Heroes Hands-on, nature-based learning materials for educators and parents on plants, ecosystems, and forest health; materials are free to download Teachers, parents, youth educators
Events calendar Association events and professional development events curated by staff Members and industry professionals
Membership pages Individual and institutional membership options Gardens and individuals considering joining
FAQ page Answers to common questions about the association First-time visitors

How to Use It for a Specific Task

Finding a garden to visit: open the interactive Garden Map from the "Connect" section and search by location. Expect results tied to the association's member gardens rather than every garden that exists — the map reflects the network APGA represents.

Getting free classroom materials: go to the Plant Heroes program page and download the learning materials directly; the site states these are free to download, with no membership step described for that resource.

Browsing events: the events listing mixes association events with professional development events curated by staff. Some listings note that you should log in to the Academy before clicking, because the link takes you directly to the Public Garden platform — plan for a login step on those items rather than assuming open registration.

Considering membership: the membership page describes both individual and institutional options. The site does not publish prices in the material available here, so treat cost and eligibility as things to confirm through the membership inquiry rather than assume.

Who the Site Is For

  • Garden visitors and travelers who want a structured way to locate gardens.
  • Public garden staff and leaders looking for advocacy, programs, peer institutions, and professional development.
  • Horticulture job seekers using the Career Center.
  • Educators and parents seeking free plant and ecosystem learning materials.
  • Researchers and collection specialists interested in the Plant Collections Network.

If you are looking for opening hours, tickets, or directions to one specific garden, this is the wrong site — use the Garden Map to identify the garden, then go to that garden's own website for visitor logistics.