Public gardens evolve over time: A private estate opens to the public, a developing cultural hub seeks to better integrate its member institutions, a landfill turned garden expands its offerings. Each of these real-life situations called for a distinctive process to map out and implement a vision for the future. Master plans require a significant investment of time, money, and thought. In this session public garden leaders and design professionals reflect on the planning processes they engaged in at Mt. Cuba Center, Santa Fe Botanical Garden, and South Coast Botanic Garden and share lessons learned.