Proposed by: Sasqua Garden Club, Zone II

The Archives of American Gardens (AAG) was founded at the Smithsonian Institution in 1987 with a deposit from The Garden Club of America of 3,500 glass lantern slides, and today the AAG is an essential resource for historic preservationists, researchers, landscape designers, students, and garden enthusiasts. The collection of approximately 10,000 documented gardens, including 65,000 photographic images and records, provides a diverse range of garden designs. The records date from the 1920s up to the present and chronicle historic and contemporary gardens throughout the United States. Included are gardens ranging from small to large, simple to ornate, and decorative to utilitarian. These archives foster a better understanding of gardening’s far-reaching contributions to America’s social and cultural history.