• The National Gardening Association (NGA), founded in 1973, is a nonprofit leader in plant-based education. We serve a national audience with timely materials designed to foster an appreciation for the benefits of gardening.

  Plants have the power to change our lives. They enable the simple and therapeutic pleasure of working in one’s own garden. They play a basic role in providing clean air and serve as a nutritious basis for healthy living. And they are uniquely effective teaching tools. For more than 30 years, NGA has been working to renew and sustain the essential connection between people, plants, and the environment through gardening.

  Our programs and initiatives highlight the opportunities for plant-based education in schools, communities, and backyards across the country. We serve as a bridge to connect people to gardening in five core fields: plant-based education, health and wellness, environmental stewardship, community development, and responsible home gardening.

National Gardening Association's Core Fields of Emphasis

• Plant-Based Education
  NGA is a leading national provider of K-12, plant-based educational materials. With teachers and community leaders serving as guides, our school and youth gardening programs help children gain knowledge in science, literacy, social studies, nutrition, the environment, and personal skill areas such as leadership, problem-solving, and team building.
  
  
• Health and Wellness
  The satisfying experiences of planting, cultivating, and harvesting fruits and vegetables creates a lifelong appreciation for healthy living. Beyond formal educational materials, our plant-based resources address pervasive health concerns such as poor nutrition and inactivity. By supporting thousands of school and community gardens nationwide, we help children and adults establish links between plants, gardening, food, and health.
  
  
• Environmental Stewardship
  Gardens are a microcosm of the environment. Landscaping with water, native plants, and habitat-friendly gardens is a portal for understanding concepts and issues in environmental education both at home and at school. NGA's programs foster environmental stewardship by providing the resources, knowledge base, and tools to help learners become environmentally connected.
  
  
• Community Development
  We have a long-standing commitment to community initiatives. Our programs help rebuild neighborhoods, instill community pride, build self-esteem, and rehumanize urban environments. Community gardens provide a source of food, add aesthetic value, encourage physical activity, help preserve cultural identity and, most importantly, cultivate neighborhood relationships.
  
  
• Home Gardening
  Although Americans consistently rank gardening as a favorite hobby, many lack the knowledge and confidence needed to be successful gardeners. NGA actively works to promote "best practice" principles that result in healthy lawns, gardens, and gardeners. We provide tools and resources needed to support gardening as an enjoyable, satisfying, and environmentally responsible activity.