Wooded landscapes full of challenges – a rain-capturing cistern system – an 1860s farmhouse surrounded by easy care perennials – the six private gardens featured on the 2018 Ann Arbor Garden Walk beautifully illustrate the results of creating gardens that maximize a site’s natural landscape. Packed with plants, waterfalls, art and more, these gardens offer a host of ideas and inspiration for those planning to spruce up their own green space.
Why is AAF&G's mission so important?
For more than 70 years, Ann Arbor Farm & Garden has been supporting gardens and green spaces in our community. We’re passionate about gardens and horticultural therapy, and the many, many benefits that accrue from each. Every year we award grants to school gardens, therapeutic gardens, edible gardens, community gardens and more. Why? This is what a sampling of studies and statistics on the many benefits of gardens have to say:
Our efforts DO make a difference!! When you participate in our annual June Garden Walk, you are directly funding worthwhile projects throughout the community. Thank you!!
- Students (grades 3-5) who participated in a one-year gardening program showed a significant increase in self-understanding and the ability to work in groups.
- Students involved in gardening make greater science achievement gains than non-gardening students. Gardening activities can be integrated into all areas of the school curriculum. Parental involvement increases at schools with garden programs.
- Children who grow their own food are more likely to eat fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Youth interns in community gardens reported increases in maturity, responsibility and interpersonal skills.
- Juvenile offenders who participated in a horticultural training program believed that it sparked their interest in further education, gave them ideas for green careers, and improved their job skills.
- Community gardens foster a sense of community ownership and stewardship, bringing people of varied ages, races, cultures, and social class together and enabling them to work and learn together.
- Community gardens are recognized as an effective crime prevention strategy. Crime rates decrease as an area’s green space increases; community involvement puts more “eyes on the street.”
- Gardens filter rainwater, clean the air, reduce soil erosion and runoff, provide wildlife habitat, and beautify our surroundings.
- Being in natural places fosters recovery from mental fatigue, improves outlook and life satisfaction, helps us to cope with and recover from stress, improves our ability to recover from illness and injury, restores concentration, and improves productivity.
Our efforts DO make a difference!! When you participate in our annual June Garden Walk, you are directly funding worthwhile projects throughout the community. Thank you!!
AAF&G
P.O. Box 354
Dexter, MI 48130
P.O. Box 354
Dexter, MI 48130