Every garden tells a story about the people, plants, and land that gave it life. For public garden professionals, uncovering and documenting these stories, and the cultural landscapes they illuminate, provides myriad benefits. A clear grasp of a garden's history is fundamental to stewardship, can help enrich the visitor experience, inform landscape development, and preserve culturally significant features. Yet the process of assessing and managing historic landscapes can be expansive and daunting.

Four experienced professionals, representing different regions and a range of institutions and landscapes, will speak from personal experience, sharing the challenges they faced and the solutions they found.