Pop-Up Garden

Janet’s brother wanted know what kind of edible plant would grow well in Philadelphia, so she suggested grapes.  Grapes grow on winding, stretching vines that take over their habitat. Before Janet’s brother knew it, his neighbors two doors down were enjoying grapes of their own!

We heard this story from a Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) garden expert at a temporary hidden gem in downtown Philadelphia at 20th and Market Streets.  Here, as well as at Logan Square and at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society headquarters, are pop-up gardens.  All summer long, the pop-up garden will take over what was once a vacant lot, giving it new life as a garden and a UBB Approved Hidden Gem.

If you’re in the area, stop by on Wednesdays and Thursday afternoons to walk around or to learn something new from one of the PHS volunteers during their 12-2 lunchtime programming. Be sure to look closely at some of the flowers and vegetables, as many of the plots are hidden gems in and of themselves.

Here’s how this horticultural experiment meets our UBB hidden gem criteria:

1. Organic Farms are Better Than Vacant Lots

Organic Farms are better than chemical farms because the runoff (which eventually runs into rivers, streams, and the ocean) is pesticide and insecticide free. Yes, even in the middle of the city, those pesky pesticides used in conventional farming would eventually flow into marine ecosystems.  Instead, this lovely garden shows off how easy it is to be organic. 
According to Claire Baker, the garden’s Associate Director, the goal is to “inspire people to make their own horticultural experience more fulfilling.” As you walk through the garden, you might see a new way for your tomato vines to grow or learn which vegetables grow well in a window box (Janet recommends carrots). 
And in case you’d like to enjoy the pop harvest, head to Philadelphia restaurants Sampan, Barbuzzo, Paradiso, Square 1682, R2L, and Table 31, all ofwhich feature the spoils of the city garden on their menus.

2. A completely unusual and unexpected discovery

Okay, so this quarter-block size garden is pretty hard to miss, but there’s something about a garden on Market Street that makes it just such a gem. In the middle of the hustle and bustle of one of the most happening parts of town, you can find yourself standing next to a tomato plant just as easily as you can find yourself standing next to a banker. And within the garden itself are many hidden gems. Vegetables and flowers cover the 32,000 square foot plot, including many species optimized for the mid-Atlantic climate. If you stop by between 12 and 2, you may even have the good pleasure of listening to Pennsylvania Horticultural Society educators like Janet Cartet, who was leading a talk on herbs that grow well in the city when we stopped by.

3. Vegetables Growing Where Steel Normally Does

It’s almost post-apocalyptic. Standing amidst the honking horns and roaring buses, looking up at some of the city’s tallest skyscrapers and then looking down at vegetable plots is at one time both disarming and delightful.  There’s been a lot of talk recently among eco-experts that cities may one day be agricultural production centers. And though it would take more than a few pop-up gardens to feed Philadelphia, it’s refreshing to see a city known for greasy cheese steaks and rowdy sports fans taking a leadership role in this department.

Alli writes about UBB approved Hidden Gems in Philadelphia and across the country. She loves talking to new people as much as she likes discovering new experiences. She can be reached at alli@unitedbyblue.com.