Former Greensgrow West site at 5123-5129 Baltimore Ave. (Archived photo)

For many years, 5123-5129 Baltimore Avenue operated as Greensgrow West – the West Philly hub of a nonprofit organization with the mission of growing fresh produce and making nutrition accessible to all Philadelphians, regardless of income. Due to unexpected financial challenges, Greensgrow closed in 2022.

Councilmember Jamie Gauthier’s office is soliciting ideas for acquiring and reactivating 5123-29 Baltimore Avenue through an Open Call for Ideas process. They have been researching ways to maintain the space for community use, particularly by a non-profit organization as a garden, open space, recreational area, or other community-centered ideas. This process will allow the Councilmember’s office to identify a non-profit organization with an innovative, feasible, and community-centered proposal for reactivating this property. They will then work with the selected application to complete the City’s land application process.

Continue Reading

Spring is here and it’s time to think about what plants you want for your porch, yard, or garden. Check out these plant sale events in West and Southwest Philly and shop for flowers, veggies, herbs, berries and other plants locally this spring.

The University City Garden Club has kicked off their annual Spring Plant Sale. Orders can be made online through April 15, with pick-ups scheduled for Saturday, May 4. Also, UC Garden Club members will be selling plants at the Spruce Hill May Fair in Clark Park on Saturday, May 11, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit: https://ucgcshop.square.site.

Bartram’s Garden is hosting the annual Spring Fest on Saturday, April 20, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The Fest will feature Bartram’s plant nursery’s seasonal kick-off and sale, where guests can shop for partial-full sun plants and shade plants including veggies and herbs, and pollinator plants. For more details, visit https://www.bartramsgarden.org. You can also shop for plants online. The online sale is expected to kick off later this month.

Continue Reading

The historical Woodlands cemetery, located at 40th and Woodland, has announced its 2024 Grave Gardener season and is currently accepting applications for this popular annual program. The non-profit organization is currently recruiting volunteers who will take care of Victorian-era “cradle” graves originally designed to be planters. As usual, the season kicks off with a series of winter workshops where participants can learn about historical contexts and helpful how-to’s.

Each volunteer will be assigned to a cradle grave to tend to throughout the growing season (March to November). The application period closes on Wednesday, Jan. 17.

For more information and to apply, click here.

The Woodlands has also announced a Volunteer Site Work Day, which will be held on Saturday, Jan. 27, from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Volunteers are needed to help remove ivy and other invasive plants from trees, collect fallen sticks and branches, pick up trash along Woodland Avenue, and do other outdoor site clean-up chores. To learn more and to sign up, go here.

The University City District (UCD) has announced the Green Giving Challenge that would support their greening efforts in the area. UCD’s Green Team has been taking care of the green spaces at The Porch at 30th Street Station, Trolley Portal Gardens at 40th and Baltimore, which have become beautiful urban oases. The team also maintains planters and pedestrian plazas in the neighborhood as well as participates in community cleanups.

Funds raised through the Green Giving Challenge will go to support the Green Team’s work. Here’s how it works:

Community members are invited to contribute to the Challenge online. Donations will be matched up to $25,000 thanks to a generous support from a longtime Spruce Hill resident and founding UCD Board member Barry Grossbach.

Continue Reading

From November 16 – 19, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) and over 90 of its PHS Tree Tenders groups, community organizations, and neighborhood volunteers will come together to plant 1,770 trees throughout the Greater Philadelphia region, including in West Philly neighborhoods.

Through this semi-annual initiative, PHS creates and enhances tree canopy in neighborhoods across the Philadelphia region to promote healthier, greener communities. These trees will help develop vital tree canopy in the region, where tree canopy averages only 20 percent, with some neighborhoods having as little as 2.5 percent tree canopy coverage.

Volunteers are still needed to help plant trees in their neighborhoods, and no prior experience is necessary to participate in a planting event. All interested participants can sign up to get involved with a planting event near them at https://phsonline.org/programs/tree-programs/get-involved.

Continue Reading

Fall is the best time of the year to plant a yard tree, and now interested residents can sign up for a free yard tree from Tree Philly, a program of Philadelphia Parks & Rec. About a dozen tree species are available to choose from, including fruit trees, large shade trees and beautiful flowering trees/shrubs (click here for more details).

West and Southwest Philadelphia residents can pre-register for the following tree giveaway events with Tree Philly’s community partners:

Saturday, Nov. 5, 12-2 p.m.
Partner: Holly Street Neighbors Community Garden
Location: Holly Street Neighbors Community Garden, 320 N. 41st St., Philadelphia
Registration: Register Here
Registration Deadline: Tuesday, Oct. 31
Note: Trees are reserved for residents of 19104 and 19139 zip codes.

Continue Reading