The British Cultural Garden in Cleveland, Ohio celebrated its centennial on April 14, 2016. Originally founded as the Shakespeare Garden in 1916 in honor of William Shakespeare’s tercentennial death day, the British Cultural Garden is the foremost outpost of British culture in Cleveland. In 1934, the Shakespeare Garden was formally renamed the British Garden and it became the cornerstone upon which the Cleveland Cultural Gardens were founded. Now boasting twenty-nine gardens, with nineteen more being planned, the Cleveland Cultural Gardens are unique as the only system of gardens in the world influencing and influenced by more than one hundred twenty ethnicities. The Cultural Gardens’ motto, “peace through mutual understanding,” promotes positivity, cooperation, and growth between cultures, often functioning like a plant-based United Nations, with the British Garden at its heart.

As with many public projects, the Garden has seen better days. As part of our centennial, we are reimagining the garden with an eye on the past, present, and future. Having never been touched by fertilizers and pesticides, we are pleased to continue the organic tradition of the British Garden to best ensure the next 100 years are most beneficial to the garden, the community, and the world at large. The task we have charged ourselves with is magnanimous and our plans will take years to fully realize. We want our work to last, to make an indelible impact on the community that will publicly display Britain’s famous authors, elegance, and generosity for generations to come. Our goal is to restore the British Cultural Garden to its former glory, with respect to its history and an eye to the future, and have it once more be Cleveland’s foremost usable public space.

Follow the renovations, restorations, partnerships, and events of the British Cultural Garden in Cleveland on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Visit the Garden at 1131 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH 44108 and share your photos online with #BritGardenCLE.

To volunteer or to inquire about donations to the garden, please fill out the form below. All are welcome, needed, and encouraged! Thank you for your generosity!