Growing Together: Open Forum

A reminder that session proposals are due by January 16 for the American Horticultural Society's 2026 National Children & Youth Garden Symposium! Submit a session proposal to share your creative strategies, hands-on ideas, or success stories about gardening with youth.

The National Children & Youth Garden Symposium will take place July 13-16 in Pasadena, California. Now in its 34th year, this professional event includes interactive workshops, keynote talks, garden visits, and networking opportunities. Registration opens in February. 

might be nice to do a workshop with several of us - someone representing a youth garden from the different growing regions, and share our responses to climate change adaptation, provide plant selection lists that are successful for school gardens in various growing zones/regions.  it'd be a great snapshot of the relevance of our gardens, and likely helpful.  i'd imagine 10 minutes for each of 5 or 6 participants/gardens, then regional breakouts with workshopping climate and plant selections.  

That's a fantastic idea, Sue . A multi‑region workshop would highlight how differently we're all experiencing climate shifts and how creatively youth gardens are adapting. Hearing 10‑minute snapshots from several regions, followed by breakout groups to compare plant lists and climate‑smart strategies, would be incredibly useful, especially for those of us working in challenging school settings. It would create a real, practical resource library while strengthening connections across growing zones. Great idea!