Smithsonian Brings Garden Stories To Life With “Community of Gardens” Mobile App

Smithsonian Gardens celebrates National Garden Month with the launch of its first mobile app “Community of Gardens,” which brings stories of gardening in the United States to life. It is a mobile companion to the “Community of Gardens” website—a digital archive of everyday gardens featuring stories contributed by the public. This free app features content from the online “Community of Gardens” forum and was developed by Curatescape. It is available for iPhone and iPad devices in the Apple app store and will soon be available for Android devices.

Gardens past and present, big and small, can be explored from anywhere with a mobile device; the app includes stories ranging from community gardens springing up around the country to memories of grandmother’s garden roses and “putting up” cans of tomatoes. “Community of Gardens” is the Smithsonian’s digital home for collecting and preserving stories of gardens and the gardeners who make them grow.

Mobile users can locate stories on a map or upload their own story about how gardening has shaped their life and community. A rich trove of writing, photographs, video and audio bring to life the traditions and tales of gardening in backyards across the country, and submissions by the public will help the Smithsonian preserve the complexity and diversity of the nation’s garden heritage. Stories can be shared at https://communityofgardens.si.edu.

Smithsonian Gardens was established in 1972 to manage the grounds of the Smithsonian museums and to create interior and exterior horticultural exhibitions. Its research and educational programs promote the ongoing development of collections of living plants, garden documentation and horticultural artifacts. http://www.gardens.si.edu.

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SI-91-2017