Garden Grants are made possible by National Garden Bureau and our members:
American Meadows, Ball Horticultural Co. and Sakata Seed America.
National Garden Bureau promotes the health and healing powers of human interaction with plants through a yearly grant program for therapeutic gardens. Sakata Seed America is a leader in breeding vegetable and ornamental seed and vegetative cuttings. They are committed to supporting organizations throughout North America to help people live productive, healthy, and enriched lives. American Meadows says “We Do Good Through Gardening.” Their primary focus is to be great at providing home gardeners with the products and knowledge they need to succeed. They seek to be a trusted gardening partner for creative gardeners —those who are willing to combine new ideas and products with classic favorites. At Ball Horticultural Company, the motto Color The World is not just coloring the world with flowers and plants, but also ensuring that the industry and communities are vibrant and healthy by supporting organizations who promote nature, beauty, education and health.
Why Our Sponsors Support the Therapeutic Garden Grant Program
Program Criteria
Each year, National Garden Bureau’s judging committee selects five Therapeutic Gardens (from all applicants) to be the recipients of a Grant that will help the organization expand or perpetuate their initiatives. Those chosen will then compete via a social media voting contest by submitting a one-minute video featuring the gardens’ operations for First place, Second place, and three runners-up financial prizes. They will also be featured on National Garden Bureau’s website for national exposure.
Gardens applying must meet these criteria for therapeutic goals/qualities:
- Must have a defined therapeutic garden program in existence for at least one year, with a 5-year commitment to remain on that property. Examples of a defined therapeutic program include occupational therapy focused on gardening, horticulture therapy, rehabilitative activities that incorporate gardening, or promoting positive social relationships using the connection with nature and community engagement.
- Must be a non-profit (501c) organization. For profit organizations are not eligible.
- Must have a Registered Horticulture Therapist either on staff or serving in an advisory capacity.
- Impact a significant number of gardeners, clients, patients, visitors or students on a monthly basis.
- Focus on life skills, job-training, planting and growing, socialization, environmental education, rehabilitation and improved quality of life through the use of therapeutic gardening.
- Must not have previously won a top-tier ($3,000) grant from this contest.
- All Applications must include Five Original (no stock photography nor AI generated) Photos of your Garden when filling out this application.
Who Is Eligible to Apply?
Schools, non-profits, hospitals, retirement centers, rehabilitative facilities, veteran facilities, community centers, inter-generational groups, job-training centers, food pantries, and public gardens throughout the United States and Canada are eligible.
Applicants must document that they have had a therapeutic garden program completed for at least one year at the time of application with at least a five-year commitment for the garden to remain on that property.
Funding
$7,500 is available and will be divided among the five gardens chosen, with graduated amounts going to the first, second, and third-place contestants, as determined by online voting.
First place (based on number of votes): $3,000
Second place (based on number of votes): $1,500
Third place awards (3): $1,000 each
The grants are co-funded by National Garden Bureau, Ball Horticulture Co., Sakata Seed America, and American Meadows.
Submission Process
July 1, 2026 – Applications due
August 13-17, 2026 – Five gardens selected from all applications and are notified
August 31, 2026 – Final one-minute videos must be submitted
September 16, 2026 – Videos are published and voting begins
September 30, 2026 – Voting concludes
October 7, 2026 – Votes are tallied and winners notified
October 15, 2026 – Grants awarded
Garden Grant Application
Applications must include:
- 5 pictures of the people and plants in your therapeutic garden (stock photography not allowed), The Garden is responsible for any model-release permissions needed.
- Please provide high-resolution photos in a .jpg format, between 1-2 MB in size. Note: 5 photos are required for submission.
- Please label photos in this manner: Garden/program name then 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. No other description is needed for the photo name.
- A description of the population the garden serves
- An explanation of the garden’s goal and benefits
- A list of the type and number of people the garden reaches on a monthly basis
- A plan for how the funds will be used
Application Process Tips
- Organization Name – the name of the organization sponsoring the program
- Program Name – name of the specific Therapeutic Horticulture program within the organization
- Contact Information – include name, location, email, etc
- Year Garden Founded – must be in existence for at least one year to be eligible
- Organization Website URL
- Garden Type – Therapeutic, Rehabilitative, Vocational, Educational or Community
- Name of Registered Horticulture Therapist – must provide name
- Qualifications of RHT –either horticulture therapy college certificate or registered with AHTA
- Role of RHT – either staff employee or advisor
- Summary of Program – overview of offerings, location, client base, and staff
- Population Served – short description of the Type of Population the garden serves and the number of people it reaches monthly
- Program Goals – list the program goals with a brief explanation
- Use of Grant – how will the funds be used
- Attach 5 photos of the garden. Please provide high-res photos in a JPG format between 1-2 MB in size.
- Recognize Sponsors – through social media, website, annual reports, etc.
- Additional Information – anything else that would be useful information for the judges
Garden Grant Award Fulfillment
August 13-17, 2026 – Finalists are notified via email. Finalists will then prepare a one-minute video explaining who the garden serves and what it achieves.
October 7, 2026 – Winners are notified via email. Chosen gardens and grant recipients are spotlighted on the National Garden Bureau website.
October 15, 2026 – Awards distributed.
Post-Award Requirements
Grant Program Winners are required to provide:
- 5 – 10 photos of both plants and people in the garden (The Garden is responsible for any model-release permissions needed.)
- A short biography of a gardener/client/patient who was helped by the garden that year.
- Status update 6-12 months after grant receipt outlining the progress made with the grant money.
- Links of copies of any publicity garnered for your garden because of the grant donation made possible by National Garden Bureau, Ball Horticultural Company, Sakata Seed America, and American Meadows (mentioning all four sponsors)
Learn more about the history of Growing for Futures Therapeutic Gardens.
Read about past grant recipients.
National Garden Bureau reserves the right to suspend or cancel the Therapeutic Garden Grant program at any given time.