Happy 4th of July!

From Dunn Gardens

Independence Day, the celebration of all things American! A time to get together with friends, share barbecue, light a sparkler or two, and slice into the first good watermelon of the season.

So, what does the 4th of July, democracy, and public gardens have to do with one another? As you most likely know, 2022 is the bicentennial birthday year of Frederick Law Olmsted — author, journalist, public official, urban planner and founder of American landscape architecture. Olmsted and his successor firms designed thousands of landscape projects across the country, including Dunn Gardens. It may be hard for us to understand how radical his ideas were at the time now that he is seen as such an establishment figure. Yet at the heart of all that was a then crazy idea: He wanted to create and preserve natural spaces to temper the urbanization of America at a time when new rail lines and tall buildings were replacing natural spaces and farms. And more importantly, he wanted to create public spaces to serve as crossroads for all strata of society to interact in a pastoral setting. He believed mingling outside the realm of the workplace could bring out the best in humanity. This was quite a revolutionary concept. In the Victorian era most gardens were private, and primarily reserved and enjoyed by the elite. His vision of public parks as egalitarian spaces making our democracy stronger is just as important today.

For more information, here is a thoughtful and provocative essay provided by the National Association of Olmsted Parks: Do Beautiful Parks Strengthen Democracy