National Public Gardens Day to Celebrate America’s Diverse Public Gardens -- May 11, 2012

AZUSA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The fourth annual National Public Gardens Day, scheduled for May 11, 2012, is a national day of celebration that invites communities to explore the beauty of their local green spaces while raising awareness of the important role public gardens play in promoting conservation, education and environmental preservation. Annually scheduled on the Friday preceding Mother’s Day weekend, schools, families, garden enthusiasts and visitors are invited to visit public gardens in their local community for special events and activities.

“Public gardens are indispensable -- they provide places to recreate, learn about the environment and observe the beauty of nature”

A partnership between the American Public Gardens Association (APGA) and irrigation product and service provider, Rain Bird, the 2012 National Public Gardens Day will showcase the contributions of public gardens with special events at many of the more than 500 North American public gardens.

“Public gardens are indispensable -- they provide places to recreate, learn about the environment and observe the beauty of nature," said Casey Sclar, Interim Executive Director of the American Public Gardens Association. "There is a common commitment of North American public gardens to engage and contribute to their communities, and to educate everyone about the importance of plant, soil and water conservation practices."

National Public Gardens Day is supported by a national awareness campaign that includes broadcast public service announcements, media partnerships, local and national spokespeople, online contests and media tours all focused on communicating the importance of building sustainable environments through improved plant management and water conservation, education and community engagement.

“As a presenting partner and co-founder of National Public Gardens Day, Rain Bird is committed to increasing awareness of how important public gardens are in demonstrating water conservation both locally and nationally,” said Dave Johnson, Rain Bird’s director of corporate marketing. “National Public Gardens Day wonderfully supports our company’s Intelligent Use of Water philosophy because public gardens are living evidence that green spaces can entertain, educate and inspire us while positively contributing to the environment and conserving the world’s most precious resource.”

In celebration of botanical gardens, arboreta, conservatories, educational gardens and historical landscapes, many of the APGA’s 500 member institutions will mark the day with special events and activities for schools, families, garden enthusiasts and other visitors. Many of the activities will continue through Mother’s Day weekend, offering visitors time to enjoy the beauty of the gardens while learning about each garden’s commitment to education, research and environmental stewardship.

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 RAIN BIRD

Headquartered in Azusa, Calif., Rain Bird Corporation is the world’s leading manufacturer and provider of irrigation products and services. From simple beginnings in 1933, Rain Bird now offers the industry's broadest range of irrigation products for farms, golf courses, sports arenas, commercial developments and homes, available in more than 130 countries. Rain Bird has been awarded hundreds of patents, including the first in 1935 for the impact sprinkler. Rain Bird’s philosophy called 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 facilities around the world. www.rainbird.com.

ABOUT APGA

Founded in 1940, Pennsylvania-based American Public Gardens Association is an organization devoted to strengthening the public gardens throughout North America. With over 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 of public gardens, and to advancing public gardens as a force for positive change in their communities through leadership, advocacy and innovation. http://www.publicgardens.org