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 helps people learn about plants and gardening. It is a nonprofit organization, which means it uses its money to help the community, not to make a profit. PHS is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 2021, PHS had over 13,000 members who love plants and gardening.
PHS started way back in 1827. Its goal was to encourage the study of plants and gardening in Philadelphia. 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 areas 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 great.
History of PHS
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society has a long history. It has been helping people with plants for nearly 200 years.
Where PHS Has Been Located
Since it started in 1827, PHS has had many different homes. In its early days, meetings were held in various places around Philadelphia.
In 1867, PHS built its first special building called Horticultural Hall. This was a place for flower and plant shows. Sadly, this building was destroyed by fire in 1881. It was rebuilt, but then burned down again in 1893.
From 1895 to 1898, a banker named Clarence H. Clark led PHS. He was known for his amazing collections of rhododendrons and chrysanthemums. During his time, PHS built another new Horticultural Hall. It opened in 1895.
Later, PHS had to sell its building in 1917 because of money problems. They moved to different office spaces over the years. In 1964, PHS moved into a historic house in the Society Hill neighborhood.
In 2003, a former PHS president, J. Liddon Pennock Jr., gave his large farm to the Society. This farm is called Meadowbrook Farm. It is located in Abington, Pennsylvania. At Meadowbrook Farm, PHS sells plants and grows plants for the Philadelphia Flower Show.
New Ways PHS Helps Communities
In recent years, PHS has found new ways to connect with people. They started the annual PHS Pop-Up Gardens. The first one opened in 2011. These gardens became very popular with younger people. This happened when Avram Hornik helped add food and drinks to the gardens in 2013. This made them fun places to hang out, like outdoor cafes.
In 2019, PHS started a new plan called Vision 2027. This plan focuses on using plants and gardening to improve health and well-being in the Philadelphia area. PHS works with many supporters, volunteers, and gardeners. Through all its activities, PHS aims to:
- Create healthy living environments.
- Help more people get fresh food.
- Create new job opportunities.
- Build stronger connections between people.
