It’s Our 100th Anniversary! 
“Inspire. Connect. Grow.” National Garden Bureau has worked for 100 years to educate and inspire home gardeners. We continue to expand our programs, grow our membership and make more of an impact. Follow us throughout the year for more fun and inspiration!
The Future of Gardening Survey Results
We surveyed gardeners to find out what they think gardening will look like in the next 100 years. Results will be posted on this site in late summer. Check back then!
Anniversary Events
January – American Seed Trade Association’s Flower & Vegetable Seed Conference. A year-long anniversary celebration will kick off with our reception on Saturday night in Monterey, California.
March – Multiple events and displays during the California Spring Trials will focus on what the next 100 years of gardening will bring.
July – National Garden Bureau will present the results and findings of our “Future of Gardening” survey and will exhibit our 20201 “Year of” crops in a special presentation at Cultivate’20 in Columbus, Ohio.
September – The annual Summer Summit, this year in Vancouver, B.C., will feature a “Roaring 20’s” banquet as a tribute to NGB’s 100 year celebration.
Mission and Purpose
“Inspire. Connect. Grow.” National Garden Bureau is a non-profit organization that exists to educate, inspire, and motivate people to increase the use of plants in homes, gardens, and workplaces by being the marketing arm of the gardening industry. 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, the National Garden Bureau was born in 1920 in the wake of World War I. He perceived the increasing need of suburbanites for basic instruction in backyard gardening. Because of his unique background as both a former 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 noble effort of mass education to create a population of gardeners. In the process, he improved the lives of citizens.
The Bureau 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.
Board of Directors
The NGB 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 – Nicholas Pucci, Seminis Home Garden
Vice President – Jeannine Bogard, Syngenta Flowers, Inc.
Past President – Tim Hodson, Great American Publishing
Treasurer – Claire Josephson, Ball Horticultural Co.
Director – Rebecca Lusk, The Dummen Group
Director – Jeanne Svob, Griffin
Director – Marissa Verdi, Harris Seeds/GardenTrends
Director – Ryan McEnaney, Bailey Nurseries
Director – Mike Lizotte, American Meadows
Executive Director – Diane Blazek, National Garden Bureau
