Friends of the Public Garden is a nonprofit organization that formed in 1970 in response to the deterioration of Boston's public parks. Today, the organization partners with the city of Boston to maintain the beauty and splendor of the Boston Public Garden, the Boston Common and the Back Bay's Commonwealth Avenue Mall.
From its headquarters in Beacon Hill, Friends of the Public Garden helps to preserve and protect the parks by repairing fences and fountains, restoring monuments and maintaining trees and foliage. It takes care of 44 monuments and more than 2,000 trees in all three parks. In 2009, the organization spent more than $150,000 on pruning, fertilizing and injecting trees against disease.
The group partners with the city of Boston and is supported largely through private donations. Executive Director Elizabeth Vizza and a board oversee the organization's activities. To join Friends of the Public Garden, residents can make a donation online of $25 or more.