GLENCOE, Ill. (June 30, 2006) – The Chicago Botanic Garden has received the 2006 Award for Garden Excellence, given by the American Public Gardens Association (APGA) and sponsored by Horticulture magazine. Kris Jarantoski, executive vice president and director, Chicago Botanic Garden, accepted the award on June 30 at the APGA annual meeting in San Francisco.

"This award is a tribute to the Chicago Botanic Garden's horticulture and collections staff who have created a world class plant collection of singular beauty," Jarantoski said. "It is an honor to be recognized by our peers for the Garden's horticultural practices, design and display, as well as its leadership in teaching horticultural excellence to students at all levels throughout the Chicago region."

The Award for Garden Excellence is given yearly to a public garden that exemplifies the highest standards of horticultural practices and has shown a commitment to supporting and demonstrating best gardening practices. The winning institution is selected by its peers and will be featured in Horticulture magazine next year.

Award criteria include: the best designed and most horticulturally outstanding display; gardening practices that are appropriate to a local or regional environment and reflect environmentally informed horticulture; commitment to plant collections; demonstrated commitment to the national or a regional horticultural community; and pattern of encouraging students of gardening at all levels through innovative horticultural practices.

"The Chicago Botanic Garden is most deserving of this award due to its highest standard of horticulture and design, and the Garden's significant impact in the Chicago region," said Eric Tschanz, chair, APGA Awards Committee.

The Garden's 23 distinct display gardens and three natural areas are surrounded by 81 acres of water, including a system of lakes, the Skokie River, river pools and ponds. Gardens with outstanding horticultural displays include the English Walled Garden, Rose Garden, Elizabeth Hubert Malott Japanese Garden, Buehler Enabling Garden, Evening Island, Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden and others. The Garden has more than 2.3 million plants, representing more than 9,400 taxa, in its collection.

"The Chicago Botanic Garden's incredible beauty is the gateway that leads people into our mission to promote the enjoyment, understanding and conservation of plants and the natural world," Jarantoski said.

Three-quarters of a million people visit the Chicago Botanic Garden each year, making it the second-most visited public garden in America. It has the largest membership of any botanical garden in the nation, with more than 46,000 member households.

The 385-acre living plant museum is owned by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County and managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society. It opened to the public in 1972 and is home to the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden, offering a broad array of adult classes in plant science, landscape design and gardening arts. The Center for Teaching and Learning brings the wonder of nature and plants to children, teens and teachers. Horticultural Therapy and Community Gardening provide nationally recognized community outreach and service programs. Through the Institutes of Plant Conservation and Ornamental Plant Research, Garden scientists work on plant conservation, research and environmental initiatives that have global impact. The Chicago Botanic Garden is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is a member of the American Public Gardens Association.
            For more information on Garden programs and events, call (847) 835-5440 or visit www.ohwow.org.

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Editors, please note: The Chicago Botanic Garden’s newsroom is online at www.chicagobotanic.org/pr. For digital images, contact Julie McCaffrey at (847) 835-8213 or at jmccaffrey@chicagobotanic.org.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is a 385-acre living plant museum featuring 23 distinct display gardens surrounded by lakes, as well as a prairie and woodlands. With events, programs and activities for all ages, the Garden is open every day of the year, except Dec. 25. Admission is free; select event fees apply. Parking is $15; free for members. On Tuesdays, senior citizens age 62 and older pay just $7 for parking. The Garden is located at 1000 Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, Ill. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org, or call (847) 835-5440 for seasonal hours, images of the Garden and commuter transportation information.

 The Chicago Botanic Garden is owned by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County and managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society. It opened to the public in 1972 and is home to the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden, offering a broad array of adult classes in plant science, landscape design and gardening arts. The Center for Teaching and Learning brings the wonder of nature and plants to children, teens and teachers. Horticultural Therapy and Community Gardening provide nationally recognized community outreach and service programs. Through the Institutes of Plant Conservation and Ornamental Plant Research, Garden scientists work on plant conservation, research and environmental initiatives that have global impact. The Chicago Botanic Garden is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is a member of the American Public Gardens Association (APGA). In 2006, the Chicago Botanic Garden received the Award for Garden Excellence, given yearly by the APGA and Horticulture magazine to a public garden that exemplifies the highest standards of horticultural practices and has shown a commitment to supporting and demonstrating best gardening practices.