Mission and Purpose
National Garden Bureau (NGB) is a nonprofit gardening education organization that helps home gardeners grow with confidence…We Grow Gardeners! Founded in 1920, NGB works with plant breeders, seed producers, growers, and retailers to share unbiased, expert gardening advice, spotlight top-performing plant varieties, and celebrate the joy of gardening. By featuring NGB-recommended plants and “Year of the” featured plant genera, we connect gardeners with reliable, Voice of the Expert guidance and high-quality products and plants that help gardens thrive.
Our members are experts in the field of horticulture and our information comes directly from these sources.
Click here to download a PowerPoint presentation explaining “What is National Garden Bureau?”
History
The inspiration of James H. Burdett, National Garden Bureau was born in 1920 in the wake of World War I. He perceived the need of suburbanites for basic instruction in backyard gardening. Because of his unique background as both a newspaper journalist and an advertising manager of a seed company, he appreciated the role of the media in public education. He pioneered the idea of enlisting horticultural writers and broadcasters in the effort of mass education to create a population of gardeners. In the process, he improved the lives of citizens. NGB came of age during World War II when the government encouraged homeowners to grow Victory Gardens. By means of annual posters promoting “Beauty and Abundance in Your Garden” and other materials, the Bureau promoted seeds and gardening on the home front. In 1943, Mr. Burdett’s book, The Victory Garden Manual, was published to aid home gardeners in creating a successful garden. Then, the postwar years saw an emphasis on community beautification and the Bureau responded with a film, brochures, programs, and information sheets to help gardening communicators further this cause among the public. Incorporation as a not-for-profit organization soon followed.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020, National Garden Bureau relaunched the Victory Gardening concept with a series of blog posts with a Victory Garden 2.0 theme. Coincidentally, this relaunch just happened to occur at the same time as the 100th anniversary of NGB.
Board of Directors
National Garden Bureau has a Board of Directors composed of eight to twelve regular members. Members serve for a period of three years with the option to serve a second three-year term. The Board makes all necessary rules and regulations consistent with law, the Articles of Incorporation, and By-Laws, for the conduct of the affairs of this organization and the guidance of its officers and employees.
President – Chelsey Lenczyk, Bejo Seeds
Past President – Alicain Carlson, Sygenta Flowers
Treasurer – Jeannine Bogard, Syngenta Vegetables, Inc.
Vice President, Membership Committee – Anneliese Valdes, Cobrahead Tools and Paula Douer, Crescent Garden
Vice President, AAS Trials and Judges Committee – Denise Mullins, Smith Gardens
Vice President, Garden Engagement Committee – Penny Merritt-Price, PanAmerican Seed
Vice President – Education Committee – Josh Kirschenbaum, Ball Seed
Our Team:
Executive Director – Diane Blazek, National Garden Bureau
Marketing, Membership and Social Media – Gail Pabst
AAS Trials and Display Gardens – Jenny Boxell
Surveys, Assessments and Financials – Pat Racey
Events and Administration – Nancy Ketchmark
Our Program Committees:
- AAS Trials & Judges
- Garden Engagement
- Education
- Marketing
- Membership and Member Services
NGB-AAS Annual Report