Campus to serve as national model for community gardening and environmental education

More than 45,000 individual plants, shrubs and trees have been planted by Franklin Park Conservatory staff members and volunteers on The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company Community Garden Campus. Forty individual plots are available for community rental on the campus. Photo credit: Franklin Park Conservatory.

Franklin Park Conservatory Unveils The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company Community Garden Campus in September

(August 25, 2009 – Columbus, Ohio) – Franklin Park Conservatory announces the opening and dedication of The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company Community Garden Campus on September 9, 2009. Located on the grounds of Franklin Park Conservatory, the campus will serve as a national model for community gardening development, education and outreach.

“In communities across the country, Americans are experiencing the pride associated with the renewal of community gardening,” said Jim Hagedorn, chairman and CEO, ScottsMiracle-Gro. “At ScottsMiracle-Gro, we are equally proud to support this growing movement through the establishment of The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company Community Garden Campus, a national resource for community gardening.”
This 7-acre, state-of-the-art “living classroom” provides a platform for expanded horticulture and environmental education, along with community gardening best practices. Additionally, this comprehensive campus will provide resources for community and school advocates that are dedicated to improving the life and health of families in central Ohio and across the United States.

As a mecca for community gardeners, the campus will feature indoor and outdoor learning spaces. The new American Electric Power Foundation Education Pavilion, anchored by numerous vegetable and herb gardens, will become a learning center for horticulture and environmental programming. The campus will also feature the newly renovated Chase Community Garden Center, new home for the American Community Garden Association (ACGA) and Franklin Park Conservatory’s education department.

American Community Garden Association (ACGA) website here.

Franklin Park Conservatory website here.

“It’s very gratifying for the AEP Foundation to play an integral role in creating a vibrant education center that will help our community come together to learn more about promoting a sustainable environment,” said Susan Tomasky, president, AEP Foundation. “We are eager to see our community reap the benefits of programs and expertise that will be offered in this bright, earth-friendly setting long into the future.”

The addition of The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company Community Garden Campus will provide a one-of-a-kind learning center to carryout the efforts of the Franklin Park Conservatory’s Growing to Green program. This community outreach program, founded in 2000, has assisted in the start-up and renovation of more than 150 community gardens, school gardens and city beautification projects. Additionally, the new Chase Community Gardener Training program features five education tracks that focus on: horticulture, nutrition and wellness, green practices and sustainability, community and garden leadership, and school gardens, will offer unparalleled learning opportunities.

“These gardens feed, beautify, teach and build a sense of shared pride – all things we believe contribute to building strong neighborhoods,” said Melissa Ingwersen, president of Chase in central Ohio. ”We hope the educational opportunities and demonstration gardens will inspire a whole new generation of community gardeners.”

The September 9 dedication of The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company Community Garden Campus is just one of several events that showcase the new campus. On September 10, Franklin Park Conservatory will host its annual Growing to Green awards, an award program honoring those who have helped promote community gardening in central Ohio. Beginning Friday, September 11, Franklin Park Conservatory will host the From Field to Table Festival beginning with an interactive dining experience followed by a weekend of live demonstrations, workshops and food sampling of locally grown foods from around Ohio.

“We are extremely excited about this first-of-its-kind facility at Franklin Park Conservatory,” said Bruce Harkey, executive director of Franklin Park Conservatory. “The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company Community Garden Campus is not only a benchmark in community gardening, but is also a resource for gardening, wellness and sustainability education.”

About Franklin Park Conservatory
Franklin Park Conservatory offers unique botanical collections, art exhibitions, plant shows, and educational programs for all ages. The Conservatory features a historic Victorian Palm House built in 1895 and 83,000 square feet of glasshouses, classrooms, and meeting and event spaces, situated in an 88-acre urban park minutes from downtown.

Franklin Park Conservatory is the only botanical garden in the world to own a signature collection of the work of acclaimed glass artist, Dale Chihuly. A permanent installation, Light Raiment II, by internationally acclaimed light artist James Turrell illuminates The John F. Wolfe Palm House every evening from dusk until dawn.

About ScottsMiracle-Gro
With nearly $3 billion in worldwide sales and more than 6,000 associates, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, The Scotts Company LLC, is the world’s largest marketer of branded consumer products for lawn and garden care, with products for professional horticulture as well.