The Atlanta Botanical Garden was recently honored to win the national Award for Garden Excellence presented by the American Public Gardens Association, according to a press release.

The award salutes a public garden that has shown a commitment to supporting and demonstrating best gardening practices, achieving excellence in displays, collections and sustainability efforts.

Started in 2003, the Award for Garden Excellence is an annual award given to a public garden that exemplifies the highest standards of horticultural practices. Selected by its peers, the award recipient is a public garden that has shown a commitment to supporting and demonstrating best gardening practices. The criteria for this award, which are given to the public garden in their entirety, include:

  • The best designed and most horticulturally outstanding display;
  • Gardening practices that are appropriate to a local or regional environment and reflect environmentally informed horticulture;
  • Maintenance of commitment to plant collections;
  • Demonstrated commitment to the national or a regional horticultural community;
  • Encouraging students of gardening at all levels through innovative horticultural practices.

The American Public Gardens Association Awards are the professional horticulture industry’s best showcase for the most influential, thought-provoking individuals and organizations. These award winners set a professional precedent for other individuals and organizations to follow.

Information: www.publicgardens.org/about-us/awards-and-scholarships/annual-awards

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Travelers walk around the baggage claim in the South Terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. Atlanta is among the airports where the FAA will reduce flights due to the shutdown, and airports are facing a shortage of air traffic controllers. 
(Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez