(UNDATED) – The natural beauty of American gardens is being celebrated by the U.S. Postal Service by issuing stamps that feature gardens ranging from botanical to country estate and municipal gardens.
All the gardens featured on the 10 stamps are open to the public. The American Gardens Forever stamps went on sale nationwide May 13.
The first-day-of-issue ceremony was canceled due to social distancing guidance. However, on May 14 the American Public Gardens Association celebrated the issuance of the stamps as part of National Public Gardens Week.
News of these stamps is being shared with the hashtags #GardenStamps and #FlowerStamps. The stamps can be purchased via usps.com/gardens
News of National Public Gardens Week is also being shared with the hashtags #NationalPublicGardensWeek and #NPGW2020.
This pane of 20 stamps features 10 different photographs taken between 1996 and 2014. The gardens include: Biltmore Estate Gardens (North Carolina); Brooklyn Botanic Garden (New York); Chicago Botanic Garden (Illinois); Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens (Maine); Dumbarton Oaks Garden (District of Columbia); The Huntington Botanical Gardens (California); Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park (Florida); Norfolk Botanical Garden (Virginia); Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens (Ohio); and Winterthur Garden (Delaware).
The gardens were photographed by Allen Rokach. Ethel Kessler was the art director and designer.
The love of gardening stretches back to the earliest years of our country, inspiring George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and other Founding Fathers to plant some of America’s most iconic colonial-era gardens. From the 19th century to today, landscape designers have continued that tradition. Conceived for many reasons—for food or pleasure, as places of education and scientific study, as an expression of the owners’ artistic sensibilities, as spaces for the public to commune with nature, or simply for the love of gardening—American gardens capture our imagination and satisfy a yearning for beauty and order.
Every year, millions of Americans visit gardens, public and private. Many public gardens are open year-round; in addition to the plants and trees on display, classes, exhibits, and other events encourage visitors to experiment and create their own gardens. During the spring and summer, planned tours and open garden days allow visitors to step into private enclaves and see how homeowners have enhanced and designed their spaces, be they large estates, small suburban yards, or rooftop aeries.
Postal Products
Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through the Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724), by mail through USA Philatelic, or at Post Office locations nationwide.
Information on ordering first-day-of-issue postmarks and covers is at usps.com/shop.
