The origin of Bucks Beautiful began with Robert & Joyce Byers in the late 1980’s.  A tour through Europe inspired them to start an initiative to beautify Bucks County’s small town residential communities and rolling landscapes with a wealth of lush public gardens.  The Byers noticed how each European town center featured beautiful gardens fostering great community pride, creating a wonderful sense of place.  Historic Bucks County is already internationally recognized for its history, the arts, its beautiful surroundings and philanthropic spirit.  Therefore the Byers knew they could bring others together to emulate this remarkable European tradition in our own hamlets.  In 1991, Betz Laboratories CEO Jack McCaughan and his wife Carol joined the Byers in officially founding Bucks Beautiful, a 501c3 non profit community organization. Bucks Beautiful was designed to promote and extend the development of gardens in communities, towns, along roads, business premises and private homes. Initial efforts included instituting gateway gardens and the hanging flower baskets in Doylestown borough, awarding garden grants to various organizations and hosting a Garden Fair with prize winning displays and educational lectures at Del Val College.     

For more than three decades, Bucks Beautiful has grown from a vision for a more beautiful Bucks County into a community-wide organization dedicated to gardens, reforestation, education and environmental stewardship. From grants and public garden projects to signature events, scholarships, RePlant Bucks and Bulbs for Bucks, each milestone reflects a continued commitment to bringing people together to enhance and preserve the beauty of our county.