Free Trees for Philly!!

Need some shade from the hot summer sun?  The best solution is usually as simple as planting a tree in your yard, and now you can get one for FREE!  This fall, TreePhilly, in partnership with the Fairmount Park Conservancy and Wells Fargo, will give away 1500 trees to Philadelphia residents! They’ll provide the tree, […]

Topiary Gardens Take a Giant Leap

They’re whimsical and imaginative, artful and sculptural…topiary gardens take many shapes and sizes.  The precisely sheared shrubs and trees seem to come to life.  Recently though, topiary gardening has morphed into something even more magical:  Mosaiculture.  These public works of horticultural art, often several stories high, encompass wire frames that act as colossal planters filled […]

Free Trees for Philly!

Philadelphia residents are very fortunate this spring to receive up to 2 FREE trees for their yards from TreePhilly, a partnership between Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, Wells Fargo and the Fairmount Park Conservancy. According to TreePhilly, “The purpose of the Yard Tree Program is to contribute to the tree canopy in the city; the layer […]

What’s Blooming Now? Winter Gardens! Brave the Cold & Explore!

Visitors to public gardens value the colorful blooms in spring and summer, but there is still much to appreciate even during the cold, bleak winter months!  Outdoor winter gardens and arboretums feature bright fruit, colorful & textural tree bark, steadfast evergreen backdrops, fantastic form & structure, and even appealing art & sculpture. Here’s a list […]

Upcoming Tours of Green Homes & Businesses

Each October, the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society (ASES) coordinates nationwide tours of homes, commercial and municipal buildings that feature green technologies.  The purpose is to show others how cool green buildings can be.  The 9000 sites on the tours use sustainable strategies that increase energy efficiency, use solar energy, conserve water, use reclaimed or […]

Parking Spaces Transform into Parks

The annual event where metered parking spaces are temporarily transformed into parklets is almost here!  Park(ing) Day, started in 2005, celebrates public spaces in cities around the globe.  Anyone, from everyday citizens to landscape architects, can participate in this altruistic event which begs, “To call attention to the need for more urban open space, to […]

What Happens to Obsolete Olympic Parks After the Games?

Years of planning and tons of money are invested in the chosen host cities, but what happens after the Olympics?  Many Olympic Parks are re-purposed into lively attractions, while others are left to decay with little interest. The Good with the Bad:  The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.  Here, the Olympic Water Cube now holds […]

Explore Private Gardens this July

With summer now in full swing, it’s the perfect time to spend vacation days touring the multitude of beautiful gardens around the country.  There’s something for everyone with gardens ranging from historic, fragrant, Japanese, container plantings, plant-specific (rose, iris, lavendar, for example), urban, edible, and private home gardens, to name a few.  Some places even […]

Upcoming Home & Garden Tours: June

Now’s your chance to get a first-hand look at beautiful blooming gardens and historic homes, many of which are secret gardens, perhaps right in your own neighborhood.  This June, visit a wide variety of gardens featured on these tours, including:  backyard habitats, rain gardens, formal gardens, English cottage gardens, edible landscaping, native plant gardens, historical […]

Tour Savannah’s Secret Gardens

Savannah, Georgia is home to the largest urban National Historic Landmark District in the United States, and now you can experience this gem of southern hospitality.  The 78th Annual Savannah Tour of Homes and Gardens will allow you to get a sneak peak into private historic homes, heirloom furnishings and gorgeous gardens. You can also […]

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