The 8th Annual Garden Day & Plant Sale Will Feature Over 100 Variety of Plants for Sale as Well as Workshops
Consider it an Earth Day weekend, because this Sunday April 24th the Fairmount Park Horticultural Center ( 100 N. Horticultural Drive) will be hosting the 8th Annual Garden Day & Plant Sale. This event is free to the public, so for those looking to plant something for Earth Day Sunday just might be the perfect day for it.
The Philadelphia County Penn State Master Gardeners’ annual Garden Day & Plant Sale returns with in-person events. This year, organizers will be selling a variety of affordable seedlings and native plants with beautiful blooms. Choose from 100s of varieties of unique veggies, herbs, native plants, and pollinators for all kinds of light and moisture conditions. All plants have been carefully cultivated by Penn State Master Gardeners and proceeds support our educational programs in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Master Gardeners will also host gardening workshops & demonstrations throughout the day. There’s something for the entire family. See full schedule below:
Drop-in Family/ Kids’ Activities
Build Your Own Mason Bee Habitats with The Girl Scouts
10 AM – 11 AM
Help native and wild bees as well as honeybees by making your own mason bee house. Mason bees don’t sting and really help flowers and fruits as well as other bees. This is a hands-on activity led by some Girl Scouts and you can bring the bee house home with you to hang outdoors.
Screenprinting Natural Dyes with The Fabric Workshop and Museum
11 AM – 12 PM
Create a garden inspired screenprint with natural inks from turmeric and weld, with The Fabric Workshop and Museum in this family friendly drop-in program.
Make Your Own Watershed!
12 PM – 1 PM
Make a model watershed, see it in action, and bring it home for more experiments!
Make Your Own Flower Bomb!
1 PM – 2 PM
Make your own flower “bomb” to spread the joy of wildflowers, while learning about how they grow.
The Dirt on Soil Health
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Do you know how soil helps plants to grow? Visit the 4-H activity table at the plant sale to get your hands dirty… and get the dirt on soil health. You’ll learn what’s really in the soil and walk away with a new appreciation of the ground you’re walking on.
Workshops & Demonstrations
Live From the Hive
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Mark Berman (@AnnaBeesHoney) of the Philadelphia Bee Guild will talk about the life of a honey bee and life inside the hive, from the perspective of the individual bee as well as that of the colony as a superorganism. You’ll learn about the honey bees life cycle, the activity inside and outside the hive through different seasons, and why spring is such a busy time for beekeepers.
Kokedama Demo
11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Learn the basics of Kokedama or the Japanese moss ball technique for planting!
Tiny Space Garden
11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Would you like to have a vegetable or flower garden but you don’t have the space or know where to start? Join Master Gardener MyLisa Shipanga-Flowers for a demonstration on planting the perfect mini-garden, packed with nutrient-dense veggies & pollinator friendly edible flowers.
Walking Tours
Pollinator Garden tour
11:00 AM – 11:30 AM
The Pollinator garden features dozens of species of native flowering shrubs and plants and some early bloomers will be out. The key to supporting pollinators is to have pollen and nectar sources throughout the growing season. This tour will focus on spring-blooming flowers that can support bees, butterflies and birds early in the growing season, while bringing early color to your garden.
Edible Garden tour
11:45 AM – 12:15 PM
Take a tour through a living, edible garden, managed by the Penn State Extension Philadelphia Master Gardeners. The garden is just waking up for spring, but check out our early season veggies and hear about our big plans for summer. Our garden is our classroom! As you tour it, you will experience pollinators fluttering, vegetables growing through intensive cultivation, smell edible flowers in bloom, and the aromatic sensation from our herb collection. Children and adults alike, will leave inspired to grow food and eat in a healthier way.
Food Forest tour
12:30 PM – 12:45 PM
Join Master Gardener Amy Kwasnicki, the Lead Orchard Volunteer for the demonstration Food Forest, on a guided tour of the site. The Food Forest is a short walk from the plant sale.
Horticulture Center Greenhouse Tour with Nakia Maples, the “Philly Plant Guy”
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Take a guided tour of the main greenhouses of the Horticulture Center with the “Philly Plant Guy,” Nakia Maples. He will show you his favorite tropical plants and succulents in the Horticulture Center collection, and discuss some of the tropical plants that can be easily grown in your home, including care requirements and growing habits.
Information Tables
All information tables will be present from 10 AM – 2 PM.
Philadelphia Orchard Project
The Philadelphia Orchard Project is a nonprofit organization that plants and supports community orchards in the city of Philadelphia. Since 2007, POP has established more than 50 orchards throughout the city. Stop by the info table to learn more about their work, ways to get involved, and ways to support your own orchards.
Philadelphia Orchard Project/ Master Gardener Food Forest
A food forest is a planted area that mimics nature with layers of fruit and nut trees, berries and shrubs, herbs, vines, and perennial plants. Learn about the POP and Master Gardener Food Forest at the Fairmount Horticultural Center, and how to create your own food forest in your community.
B.Y.O. Soil (Bring Your Own Soil)!
Bring some soil from your own yard or garden and test your soil’s pH with a Master Gardener. Learn why pH is an important component of healthy soil and how you can manage it for happy, healthy plants.
Composting & Soil Health
Learn the ins and outs of how compost contributes to soil health. You’ll find information on what can go in compost, basic requirements to make a compost pile, and local resources for compost collection for those who do not have the space to make their own.
Philadelphia Mycology Club
The Philadelphia Mycology Club is a community of experienced and novice mushroom enthusiasts around the Greater Philadelphia area. Together they provide free hikes, lectures, classes, and social events that teach about fungal diversity and bring awareness to fungi’s importance in our environment.
Master Watershed Stewards
The Penn State Master Watershed Steward program was established to strengthen local capacity for management and protection of watersheds, streams, and rivers, by educating and empowering volunteers across the commonwealth in watershed protection and education. Stop by their table to learn more!
Philadelphia 4-H Youth Program
Philadelphia County 4-H has a unique program offered to educate the youth of the surrounding area. 4-H has something for everyone, whether you are interested in programing a robot, teaching your dog to sit, or sewing a project.
Health Promotion Council
The Health Promotion Council provides direct in-person and/or virtual nutrition education in a variety of adult settings throughout Philadelphia. We teach in health centers, grocery stores, senior centers, shelters, pantries, and schools. Visit our table for some resources on healthy eating, some nutrition tips, and a free gift!
Gardening for Pollinators
Learn from Master Gardeners how to best support our beloved bees, butterflies and other insects so they in turn can pollinate our gardens. Pollinators are most attracted to the native plants they have evolved with and are adapted to. Our partner table on native plants can help you select key species to include in your garden.
Native Plants in Your Garden
The Lehigh Gap Nature Center is the first superfund site turned wildlife refuge and environmental education center in the country. Stop by to learn about the use of native plants in the restoration process, as well as how you can incorporate native plants into your own garden, and the many benefits they provide for both the gardener and the ecosystem.
Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild
Stop by the Philadelphia Bee Guild table to chat with local beekeepers and learn more about urban apiaries, how to support local honey bees and their caretakers, and maybe become a beekeeper yourself.
Ask a Master Gardener
Tulip troubles? Composting conundrum? Seedling struggles? Our experienced Master Gardeners will be available to answer all your gardening questions.
Footer Penn State Extension Logo
College of Agricultural Sciences
The Pennsylvania State University 323 Agricultural Administration Building University Park, PA 16802
