FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 4, 2026
Charlottesville, VA

The Botanical Garden of the Piedmont today celebrated a ceremonial groundbreaking, marking a major milestone in the creation of the area’s first public botanical garden.

More than 150 supporters, community leaders, and project partners gathered at the Garden’s 15-acre site to celebrate years of planning, design, fundraising, and community engagement that have brought the project to this pivotal moment.

The event recognized the progress made to date and the exciting work ahead as the Garden prepares to begin construction following final approvals from the City of Charlottesville.

“Today, we move from vision to visible. What has lived in our imaginations, in plans and renderings and late-night conversations, is now going to rise from this ground. People will walk through it. Children will grow up with it. And I believe, with everything I have, that generations from now, people will gather here and be grateful it was built,” said Jill Trischman-Marks, Executive Director of the Botanical Garden of the Piedmont. “I am deeply grateful to our Board of Directors, our campaign leadership, our design and project partners, our community collaborators, and every single donor and supporter who helped bring us to this moment. We are not building this alone – and that is exactly the point.

The Garden also announced Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation as a partner in the project, supporting the Garden’s environmental stewardship and educational mission.

To date, the Botanical Garden of the Piedmont has raised more than $12.5 million toward the development of the Garden and continues to seek additional support to fully realize the vision for its first phase. Planned features include native gardens, walking paths, educational spaces, environmental infrastructure, and visitor amenities designed to serve residents and visitors for years to come. The first project to be constructed will be a pedestrian bridge over the Garden’s restored stream, uniting the site and creating a new connection to the broader McIntire Park.

To learn more about the Garden’s plans, visit www.piedmontgarden.org/future-garden.

Contact:
Danielle Grieser
Capital Campaign Director
d.grieser@piedmontgarden.org, (434) 953-0060 x5