Seminar: The last several years have seen dramatic growth in the programs, facilities, and audience of the State Botanical Garden of Georgia. Additions on the public garden side include the recently dedicated Porcelain and Decorative Arts Museum, the Discovery and Inspiration Garden, redesigned entrance, and the popular Children’s Garden. UGA students play an increasingly conspicuous role in the garden’s horticulture, education, and conservation programs through the Learning by Leading™ program and the Botanical Garden Internship class. The garden curators are enjoying their new role as undergraduate mentors! Programs such as Connect to Protect and the Georgia Pollinator Plants of the Year promote the role of native plants in home horticulture. The garden’s scientific staff has been demonstrating for decades that horticultural science has a critical role to play in plant conservation, and this is well illustrated by our restoration projects centered on floodplain forests and southeastern grasslands. If you have been wondering why the parking lots at the botanical garden are so crowded these days, this presentation will help satisfy your curiosity!