Resources for museums, libraries, and non-profit organizations interested in utilizing Community of Gardens to share stories and  implement garden history programming.

We invite museum, library, organization, visitors, and volunteers to share their garden stories with the Smithsonian Institution! Community of Gardens is a fun and educational way to engage with storytelling and local history. These stories showcase local history and landscapes, telling stories from across the country, and remain a part of the Community of Gardens digital archive.

Ways to get involved with Community of Gardens: 

  • Host a pop-up storytelling event. Ask participants to come prepared with their memories and photographs to share with volunteers or museum staff. Submit the stories through the Share a Story form, or email directly to communityofgardens@si.edu. 
  • Get young people involved with our Smithsonian Gardens Green Ambassador Challenges! The challenges introduce teens to project-based learning in the real world, one garden at a time. Choose from one of two paths, or do both! See below. 
  • Become a Community Collaborator. Our Community Collaborators work with Smithsonian Gardens to harness the power of storytelling to share and celebrate the stories of gardeners in their own communities.
  • Use Facebook or an email newsletter to encourage your community to share their garden stories. You can even build momentum and excitement by putting out the call for stories before the exhibit arrives. Visit our Community of Gardens Outreach Toolkit for resources. 

Feel free to explore our Educators page for additional Smithsonian Gardens education resources. 

We want to hear from you! We would love to hear from you and discuss your plans to include Community of Gardens into your programming.Email us at communityofgardens@si.edu if you would like more information on any of these programs, or help getting started.

Design a Green Space: Smithsonian Gardens Green Ambassador Challenge

Collage of gardens included in the Community of Gardens digital archive.

Become a Smithsonian Gardens Green Ambassador! Teens and students, empower yourselves to become local leaders by making your school or community...

Interview a Gardener: Smithsonian Gardens Green Ambassador Challenge

Collage of gardeners included in the Community of Gardens digital archive.

Become a Smithsonian Gardens Green Ambassador! This is a project about sharing wisdom, life experiences, and community history from a gardener’s...