The Berkshire Botanical Garden is a not-for-profit, membership-supported, educational institution located in Stockbridge, Massachusetts   The Garden was founded in 1934 on 15 acres of donated land at the inter-section of Routes 102 and 183 in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.  Its public display gardens are among the oldest in the U.S. and have been expanded over the years in breadth and variety through a series of bequests and major gifts. 

The Garden's original mission was to provide a place of serene beauty for Berkshire residents and visitors and to instruct local gardeners in how to grow plants, flowers, fruits and vegetables in the Berkshires.  From its inception, the Garden has also offered  a broad variety of educational programs to adults and school children from the surrounding area.  The Harvest Festival was first held in 1934 as the Garden's earliest fundraising event.  It has become the Berkshires' best-known community gathering with annual participation of over 10,000 people.

Today, the Berkshire Botanical Garden is a lively center for horticulture, educational programs, and community events.  As the area's only botanical garden, it is an important resource to the tri-state region it serves.  The Garden, which showcases the natural beauty of the Berkshires, complements the many cultural institutions of the region and adds a unique dimension to the experience of visitors and residents alike.

The Garden's major programs include:

·        Maintaining and improving the rural beauty of its public display gardens which attract over 10,000 visitors each year;

·        Expanding its youth education programs which nurture children's interest in nature and teach grassroots environmentalism to school children in Berkshire County and  the contiguous tri-state area (the Garden's education staff regularly travel to area schools and busloads of children visit the Garden each year);

·        Offering a wide range of year-round adult education classes and courses in gardening, garden design, herb gardening, flower arranging, and related topics;

·        Improving its renowned herb gardens which comprise dozens of varieties of herbs (the volunteer Herb Associates help tend these gardens and produce organic herb products sold at the Garden;

·         Researching and testing new varieties of perennials, annuals and vegetables for home gardens in the Berkshires;

·        Producing many popular special events including the Plant Sale in May, Antiques Show in mid-July, Flower Show in early August, Harvest Festival on the first weekend in October, and the Holiday Marketplace in early December.

The Board of Trustees has initiated an ongoing planning process, enabling the Garden to better carry out its horticultural and educational missions and meet the changing needs of the Berkshire community.  With the assistance of Sasaki Associates, a highly-regarded landscape architecture and planning firm, a Master Site Plan was developed for the Garden.  The plan addresses garden layout, expansion of the display gardens, improvements to the undeveloped four-acre woodland preserve, development of an arboretum, and expansion of educational facilities.  Implementation of the Master Site Plan will enhance the Garden's ability to use its valuable land and facilities in the most effective way possible.

This wide array of activities and programs is carried out by a staff of 9 year-round and 6 seasonal employees, high school and college interns, and numerous volunteers.  The Board of Trustees is actively involved in planning and establishing policy, and also provides significant financial and volunteer support.  The Garden encourages the volunteer participation of its 1200 members and enjoys additional assistance from many non-member volunteers.  The annual operating budget is approximately $600,000 of which about one-third comes from the generous annual contributions of Garden members and friends.

The Berkshire Botanical Garden is entering a new and exciting phase in its history.  The Garden will continue to make an invaluable contribution to the quality of life in the Berkshires and will become an even more active and vibrant institution in the years ahead. 

For more information concerning the Garden's programs, special events and other activities, please call 413-298-3926.