The Purpose of Public Gardens

Published on November 15, 2025

The Purpose of Public Gardens: A Vision of the Future

If you’ve ever enjoyed a moment of peace on a quiet trail, learned a new skill at a workshop, or felt the thrill of a live performance under the stars at Pinecrest Gardens, you’ve experienced the modern purpose of a public garden firsthand. Once simple collections of plants, today’s gardens are evolving from natural showcase into vital centers for community life, education, and culture.

At Pinecrest Gardens, this commitment to arts and culture is on full exhibit. Something is always happening, whether it’s curated art exhibitions, live performances, vibrant festival events, or engaging classes for all ages.

A MODERN MISSION

Today’s public gardens are embracing new, important roles. They have become dynamic spaces that actively engage in:

• Conservation: Actively working on species conservation and the preservation of natural areas.
• Education: Fostering environmental awareness, particularly about climate change, and promoting greater science appreciation.
• Culture: Integrating the visual and performing arts, often partnering with community organizations to host events featuring live music, theater, and visual art set against the garden’s natural beauty.

OUR ROOTS IN HISTORY

This modern mission builds on a rich history. Public gardens in South Florida are the descendants of European spaces once designed for the pleasure of the privileged or for the scientific study of medicinal plants and botanical curiosities.

Gardens, especially in the British Empire during the Age of Exploration, were also tasked with discovering and cultivating plants for food or other economic uses. The concept of the botanic garden, a place where plants are not just displayed, but also identified and categorized in collections, became an important organizing principle for many of the world’s great public institutions.

The expansion of trade in the New World, Africa, and parts of Asia sparked the introduction of exotic species into horticulture, which were scientifically described and studied. Later, in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, wealthy Americans developed gardens and parks to benefit the public, often through philanthropy directed toward the poor, urban-dwelling masses. Once available only to the rich, these landscaped places of beauty offered all city-dwellers a chance to commune with nature.

A GARDEN FOR THE FUTURE

Today, public gardens are embracing the changing needs of our times. Present-day gardens that maintain scientific collections as living botanical museums arrange their plants by geographical region or ecological communities, rather than the cumbersome historic way of planting by family or type. Rather than just displaying “trophy” plants, gardens actively engage in species conservation and the preservation of natural areas.

Pinecrest Gardens exemplifies this powerful evolution. As a public garden, it promotes hands-on connections with nature through volunteer opportunities, weekly outdoor yoga classes, and interactive programs for all ages.

Beyond horticulture, the Gardens foster community and cultural engagement through visual and performing arts, offering spaces and events where residents can gather, create, and connect while enjoying the beauty and tranquility of the gardens. The root of public gardens, planted in the past, nourishes us as we grow into the future.