Overview

About APS Reference Gardens

Definition, Criteria, Participation Benfits & Application

 

 

What is a Reference Garden?

The purposes of a reference garden are education and preservation. A reference garden contains a themed collection of accurately identified plants allowing visitors to order a plant of the same name for their own garden and know what they are getting.  Visitors can also compare specimens to their own plants to aid in the identification of unknowns. In some cases, especially with historic collections, it will not be possible to authenticate all the plants in a garden. Reference gardens could be either private or public, but APS has chosen to include only public gardens in their program.


What criteria are used to select a Reference Garden?

1. Must be a nonprofit garden (municipal, private nonprofit, educational institute, etc.) located in the US open to the public during peony bloom season. (May later extend to other countries.)
2. A general collection must include at least 80 different cultivars or species of peonies; a themed or specialty (e.g. heirloom lactifloras, woodies, specific hybridizer, APS Award of Landscape Merit, APS Gold Medal) collection could have fewer.
3. Peonies must either be individually labeled (cultivar name at minimum; hybridizer and year encouraged) or a map made available to visitors. Type of label would be consistent with other labeling in the garden; ideally, labels would have QR codes linking to the APS Registry.
4. The garden must have a liaison (staff or volunteer) who is knowledgeable about peonies so that proper identification and cultural practices are employed.
5. The garden must agree to display APS brochures in its visitor center or kiosk and an APS Peony Reference Garden plaque in the garden.
6. The garden must provide a brief report to APS every five years on the status of the collection.


Are there benefits to becoming an APS Reference Garden?

1. Institutional membership in APS free of charge.
2. A listing on the APS website if desired.
3. An APS member liaison for each garden (could be a staff member through the
institutional membership).
4. A bronze plaque for the garden provided by APS.
*Note: APS is in the process of developing a grant program to which reference gardens can apply for funding for labeling, signage, promotional and educational material, and other small projects.

Reference Garden Application

Use this form to apply for APS Reference Garden Status