New Broadcast TV Public Service Announcement Celebrates the Environmental Leadership of Public Gardens in Support of National Public Gardens Day 2011

Free Broadcast Public Service Announcement, Featuring The Gardener Guy™ Paul James, Calls Attention To The Important Role Public Gardens Play in The Community

AZUSA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In support of the third annual National Public Gardens Day, May 6, 2011, the American Public Gardens Association has released a broadcast public service announcement featuring master gardener Paul James, host of HGTV’s Gardening By The Yard.

“Public gardens are a rich source of information for home gardeners, consumers, and homeowners and National Public Gardens Day is a day to get the public excited about all of the resources and beauty they can find in their local public gardens”

The 30-second broadcast PSA spotlights the role public gardens play in plant and water conservation while calling attention to the wealth of information that is available to viewers at their local public gardens. The PSA is close-captioned and intended to play during the weeks leading up to National Public Gardens Day

Now in its third year celebrating North America’s public gardens, National Public Gardens Day is a national day of awareness in which communities nationwide are invited to visit and learn about the important role their public gardens play in promoting environmental stewardship and awareness, plant and water conservation, and education. Scheduled for May 6^th, 2011, the Friday before Mother’s Day Weekend, National Public Gardens Day was created in partnership between the American Public Gardens Association (APGA) and irrigation product and service provider Rain Bird.

“Public gardens are a rich source of information for home gardeners, consumers, and homeowners and National Public Gardens Day is a day to get the public excited about all of the resources and beauty they can find in their local public gardens,” said Paul James. “There are more than 500 public gardens in the United States that are pillars of their community, delivering education on plant and water conservation. As I travel across the country, I am always amazed at the number of people who aren’t aware of what a public garden has to offer. They are a treasure trove of ideas that can be applied in the garden at home.”

To order a free copy of the National Public Gardens Day PSA please contact Mark Havenner at 310-556-4443 or via e-mail at [e-mail].

For more information on National Public Gardens Day, visit www.NationalPublicGardensDay.org, “LIKE” the National Public Gardens Day Facebook page and follow the National Public Gardens Day Twitter feed, @NPGD.

ABOUT APGA

Founded in 1940, Pennsylvania-based American Public Gardens Association is an organization devoted to strengthening the public gardens throughout North America. With nearly 70 years of work increasing cooperation and awareness among the gardens, APGA has built a membership of more than 500 public gardens located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Canada and seven other countries. Their members include public gardens as well as arboreta and zoos. APGA has also built up an international network of individual members in the U.S., Canada and 24 other countries. The APGA is committed to increasing public awareness for public gardens and supplying resources to the industry. Through their leadership and advocacy, public gardens have become vital to public appreciation and understanding of the irreplaceable value of plants. http://www.publicgardens.org

ABOUT RAIN BIRD

Based in Azusa, Calif., Rain Bird Corporation is the leading manufacturer and provider of irrigation products and services. Since its beginnings in 1933, Rain Bird has offered the industry's broadest range of irrigation products for farms, golf courses, sports arenas, commercial developments and homes in more than 130 countries around the world. Rain Bird has been awarded more than 130 patents, including the first in 1935 for the impact sprinkler. Rain Bird and The Intelligent Use of Water is about using water wisely. Its commitment extends beyond products to education, training and services for the industry and the community. Rain Bird maintains state-of-the-art manufacturing assembly facilities in the United States, France, Sweden and Mexico. www.rainbird.com

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