Indianapolis GC’s Garden Walk Supports Community Projects

Proceeds from Garden Tours Give back to Community

September 04, 2024

The Indianapolis Garden Club’s Garden Walk has returned more than $825,000 in grants to public spaces in the Indianapolis community. The walk, conceived 28 years ago, sells tickets and sponsorships for visits to five or six private gardens on the first Wednesday in June—rain or shine. The Garden Walk has become a June tradition and a beloved community event. Patrons leisurely stroll through the properties that range from owner planted and lovingly tended to architect planned, manicured estates.  

The proceeds from the Garden Walk have supported diverse public garden projects and green spaces in the Indianapolis area including:

• A pollinator garden at the LEED platinum certified downtown headquarters of The Nature Conservancy.

• The garden at the “Promised Land as Proven Ground” exhibit at Conner Prairie’s “living history museum”. A permanent exhibit that showcases the experience of African American Settlers in Indiana in 1817.

• The Sky Farm at Eskenazi Hospital which provides more than 3,000 pounds of fresh produce for patients and employees.  

• The Sensory Garden at the Easter Seals/Crossroads site that provides visual, auditory or tactile stimulation for children and adults with autism or other neurodiversities. 

• The restoration of the historic Jens Jensen Gardens at Marian University – Riverdale.

• Landscaping at the restored Taggart Memorial Amphitheatre at Riverside Park - listed on the National Register of Historic Places and home to the Indianapolis Shakespeare Company.

• These grants, funded by the Garden Walk, reflect the mission of the Indianapolis Garden Club and the Garden Club of America, to restore, improve, and protect the quality of the environment through action in the field of conservation and civic improvement.