Press Releases

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe and National Gardening Association Vice President Anthony Vargo today announced a week of garden and horticulture education in celebration of National Garden Month 2006.  From Saturday,
April 22 through Saturday, April 29, the Department of Parks & Recreation and the National Garden Association (NGA) will host a number of garden-related events throughout the City, including green markets, planting initiatives, a garden-themed art exhibit, horticulture education, workshops and lectures, children’s activities, and a variety of unique garden tours.

“Spring has arrived and New York City is blooming with more flowers than at any time in our history,” said Mayor Bloomberg.  “As we celebrate National Garden Month, we are grateful to our community partners who have worked to bring parks, playgrounds, Greenstreets and community gardens to life with millions of new flowers, shrubs and trees.”

“The Big Apple is turning into Flower City,” said Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe.  “From our historic parks and squares to our magnificent botanical gardens, we are greening the City and creating a little piece of paradise in every neighborhood.  National Garden Month in New York City is a time to celebrate the green side of our communities.”

“The National Gardening Association is committed to making gardening and plants a greater priority in the minds of Americans,” says Tony Vargo, Vice President, National Gardening Association.  “In the fourth year of celebrating National Garden Month, a program of NGA, we are excited to share this time of celebration, education and inspiration with the residents of New York City through our partnership with the Department of Parks & Recreation.”

    Each day of the week, Parks and National Garden Month partners will offer a host of horticulture-focused events.  Here are some of the week’s highlights:

·        The week will kick off on Earth Day, April 22, with a variety of activities, including a celebration in Central Park featuring planting projects, walking tours, and entertainment at the Naumburg Bandshell. 

·        The “Garden Paradise” art exhibit in the Central Park Arsenal building will open on April 24 and will feature artwork interpreting the garden as paradise. 

·        On Arbor Day, April 28, there will be special tours of the Carnegie Library Gardens which feature butterfly and bird gardens, native woodlands, gazebos, ponds and waterfalls, and are maintained by Riker’s Island inmates through the Horticulture Society's GreenHouse program. 

·        The week of events will culminate on April 29, with “NYC GROWS Garden Festival,” an all-day, interactive garden festival in Union Square Park.  NYC Grows will feature healthy cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs from Les Dames d’Escoffier, explorations of art in nature by renowned local artists, gardening tips and advice from garden writers, television personalities and radio show hosts.  Native plants will be available for purchase at the festival.

There are more flowers blooming in New York City today than ever before, thanks to the growing number of non-profit partners and conservancies, programs, and maintenance initiatives that have been established in an effort to create new, and preserve existing, gardens and greenspaces.

For additional details on National Garden Month events and happenings, or any of the partners and programs aforementioned, please visit www.nyc.gov/parks or call 311.