Spring is a great time to visit a public garden and several of the ones in NJ have made a list of must-see public gardens in America! A poll of 3,000 people from Good Plant Care identified the top 200 public gardens people want to visit this year. Greenwood Gardens in Short Hills ranked high as the 26th must-see garden.
Greenwood Gardens is a 28-acre public garden surrounded by 2,110 acres of Essex County Park System’s South Mountain Reservation. The Gardens were a private estate until 2003, when the Blanchard family decided to transform them into a public garden. With moss-covered paths and wildflower meadows, it’s a tranquil respite that visitors return to again and again. The gardens are currently closed but are scheduled to reopen on May 5, so plan your visit now.
While Hawaii’s public gardens took the top three spots, several more NJ gardens were also on the list including Rutgers Gardens (29), Willowwood Arboretum (143), Skylands New Jersey Botanical Garden (167) Deep Cut Gardens (188) and Presby Memorial Iris Gardens (191).
Public gardens are important because they provide free open space to escape the hustle and bustle of work and city life and a chance to kick back and enjoy nature. Visitors can check out different species of plants and spend time with family or friends in lush gardens viewing vibrant flowers and towering trees. Spending time in nature has been shown to lower stress levels, and visiting a public garden is something everyone in the family can do together.
These are the top 10 public gardens in America according to the poll:
1) Koko Crater Botanical Garden (HI)
2) Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, Big Island (HI)
3) Wahiawa Botanical Garden (HI)
4) Florida Botanical Gardens (FL)
5) San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers (CA)
6) New York Botanical Garden (NY)
7) Liliʻuokalani Botanical Garden (HI)
8) Alaska Botanical Garden (AL)
9) Desert Botanical Garden (AZ)
10) Central Park Rose Garden (NY)
Click here to see the full list.
Read more:
Must-See Gardens in NJ
Nature Centers, Gardens and Arboretums in NJ