Moving to the city doesn’t mean you are destined to only be able to grow herbs in your window boxes. With an estimated 400 active places around the city designated as community gardens, you can find somewhere to grow your summer flowers and fall root vegetables.
The Neighborhood Gardens Trust (NGT) mission is to be Philly’s neighborhood garden protector preserving land access for community-managed open spaces.
Each garden can vary between a large professional operation and a small area that is just getting its start. Some of the gardens have an extensive waiting list, and member dues, as they are in high demand. If you can’t get a place in the garden nearest to you, an alternative is to split your time between two smaller gardens that need more help. We’ve picked a few neighborhood favorites to highlight.
Glenwood Green Acres, 1801 W Glenwood Ave.
North Philly
This 3.5-acre lot has been thriving ever since 1984 when the community took over the land, after a fire caused a complex of warehouses to be demolished. The garden has won numerous prizes and has hosted intergenerational projects on the heritage of southern agriculture.
Glenwood Green Acres, image courtesy of Hole in the Clouds.
Spooky Garden, 1015 N. Leithgow Street and 1116 N. Fourth St.
Northern Liberties
If you love both Gardening and Halloween, then this might be the one for you. This Northern Liberties garden has been in existence since 2002 and was finally preserved in 2016 after a decade-long campaign to save the space by the NGT. The garden has communal garden beds used to grow everything from herbs to raspberries and, of course, pumpkins. During the annual Halloween event, thousands of people come to see the seven-foot werewolf and haunted house created in the gardens by local artists.
Spooky Gardens, image courtesy of Spooky Garden Facebook
Capitolo Community Garden, S. 10th St and Federal St.
Passyunk Square
This community garden spawned from a neglected baseball diamond and sits adjacent to the Capitolo Playground at 10th and Federal. The 40+ plot garden is a stone’s throw away from Pat’s and Geno’s and plays host to various flea markets. PHG Realtors Allison and Christian Fegel have been members of the garden and broke ground at its inception in the summer of 2009.
Capitolo Community Garden, image courtesy of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation
Mercy Emily Edible Park (MEEP), 500 block of Mercy St.
South Philadelphia
Located between the 5th and 6th block of Mercy Street in South Philadelphia, this community garden has been active for nearly ten years. The land ownership has changed hands a number of times in the past. It has been used to grow food to feed Philadelphia’s vulnerable/ homeless population. As of 2018, the garden has switched to being run by a committee of community members and regularly donates food to people who live on the surrounding blocks.
Mercy Emily Edible Park, image courtesy of MEEPGarden
Summer Winter Community Garden, 3223 N Natrona St.
Powelton Village
Named after the nearby streets, the Summer Winter Community Garden is one of Philadelphia’s oldest community gardens. It’s located close to Drexel University in West Philadelphia and is run entirely by volunteers. The garden regularly supports Pennsylvania Horticultural Society City Harvest, which grows food for the homeless.
Summer Winter Community Garden, image courtesy of NGT
Carousel House Farm, 4300 Avenue of the Republic.
Fairmount Park
Located in Fairmount Park on the grounds of a recreation center, this farm was founded in 2010. It offers programs for the local community including working with over 30 summer camps. They also run a CSA that plans to return in 2023. Proceeds go to support Farm Philly.
Carousel House Farm, image courtesy of Curbed Philly / My Philly Park / Tribe 12
For more information about community gardens, check out the Neighborhood Gardens Trust (NGT) and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS). These organizations play similar roles in helping support the spaces and supply necessities through their network of members, such as tools, soil and trucks when needed. The NGT also helps secure land rights for the gardens so you won’t turn up one sunny Saturday and a high-rise apartment block has been built on top of your asparagus. It’s important to know if your garden has been protected by NGT and if not who owns the plot of land.
If you have a green space or an empty lot you think would make a fantastic community garden, you can contact the NGT for help. In order to be protected, you have been active for a minimum of 3 growing seasons but they will advise you through the process of getting started. Information can be found here.