Pennsylvania Horticultural Society facts for kids
PHS Logo
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| Abbreviation | PHS |
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| Formation | 1827 |
| Headquarters | 100 North 20th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103 |
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Region served
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Pennsylvania |
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Membership
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13,000 |
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President
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Matt Rader |
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Budget
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$21 million |
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Staff
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100+ |
| Website | http://www.PHSonline.org |
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) is a special group that loves plants and gardening! It's a non-profit organization, which means it works to help people and the environment, not to make money. PHS is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It helps people connect with plants and make their communities greener. As of 2021, PHS has more than 13,000 members who support its mission.
PHS started way back in 1827. Its first goal was "to establish a Horticultural Society in the City of Philadelphia for the promotion of this interesting and highly influential branch of Science." This means they wanted to promote the science of growing plants. Today, PHS is famous for hosting the yearly Philadelphia Flower Show. This is the biggest indoor flower show in the world! PHS also runs programs like Philadelphia LandCare. This program helps make city spaces greener and more beautiful. They also give out the Community Greening Award each year. This award celebrates people who work hard to make their neighborhoods look amazing with plants.
PHS Through the Years: A History
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society has a long and interesting history. It has been helping people enjoy plants for nearly 200 years! Over time, PHS has grown and changed, but its main goal has always been to promote gardening and green spaces.
Where PHS Has Lived
Since it started in 1827, PHS has had many different homes. In its early days, meetings were held in various places around Philadelphia. These included the Franklin Institute and the American Philosophical Society.
In 1867, PHS built its very first Horticultural Hall. This was a special building where they could hold flower shows. Sadly, this building was destroyed by fire in 1881. PHS rebuilt it, but it burned down again in 1893!
From 1895 to 1898, a banker named Clarence H. Clark led PHS. He loved plants like rhododendrons and chrysanthemums. During his time, PHS built another new horticultural hall. This one opened in 1895.
Later, PHS had to sell its building in 1917 because of money problems. They moved to office spaces in different buildings around the city. In 1964, PHS teamed up with another group and moved into a historic house. This house was in the Society Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia.
In 2003, a former PHS president, J. Liddon Pennock Jr., gave PHS his large 25-acre estate. This beautiful place is called Meadowbrook Farm. It has a shop where you can buy plants. It also has greenhouses where PHS grows plants for the amazing Philadelphia Flower Show.
New Ways to Connect with Plants
In recent years, PHS has found new and exciting ways to reach more people. One popular idea is their annual PHS Pop-Up Gardens. These are temporary gardens that appear in different spots around the city.
The first Pop-Up Garden was in 2011. But they became super popular when PHS partnered with FCM Hospitality in 2013. They added food and drinks to the gardens. This made them fun, social places where people could relax and enjoy plants. They were like cool outdoor cafes surrounded by greenery!
In 2019, PHS started a new plan called Vision 2027. This plan shows how much PHS believes in using plants to make the Philadelphia area healthier and happier. PHS works with thousands of supporters, volunteers, and gardeners. They use all their activities to focus on four main goals:
- Creating healthy living environments for everyone.
- Helping more people get access to fresh, healthy food.
- Creating new job opportunities related to plants and gardening.
- Building strong connections between people through shared green spaces.
