Welcome to the Swarthmore Horticultural Society Website!
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Contact us at
Swarthmore Horticultural Society P.O. Box 394 Swarthmore, PA 19081-0394 swarthmorehortsociety@gmail.com |
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Bonjour and Bon Voyage - January 2019
Ginny Scott, Mary Lou Parker, Linda Heffernan, Gladys Snively
On Friday January 11, President Jennifer Pfluger presided over the first board meeting of the year. The meeting started with the introductions of the new board members: Jennifer Pennington (Vice-President), Betty Robertshaw (Recording Secretary), Betty Dowling (Corresponding Secretary) and Corey Ullman (Director-Publicity). Following introductions the board discussed plans for the upcoming year. One plan was the Bon Voyage Party for our four long term board members who have retired from the board. On Thursday January 17 we said Bon Voyage to Linda Heffernan, Mary Lou Parker, Ginny Scott and Gladys Snively who have served on the board for many years in a variety of positions. We wish them well and will see them around the boro checking out the gardens
Garden Changeovers Occurring -October to November
Look for the changes in our thirteen gardens as the garden managers, with many helpers, replant the beds for both winter interest and spring blooms. Fine Garden Creations has planted all the containers in Downtown Swarthmore for our enjoyment,
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Imagine A Day without Gardens- Friday October 12th
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Imagine a walk through Swarthmore without any of the beautiful public gardens or fabulously planted pots. It would be a different town indeed. Since 2002, when a like minded group of community members got together and decided to "Make Swarthmore Bloom," the Swarthmore Horticultural Society has been working to create and maintain thirteen public gardens which includes the fabulous containers lining the sidewalk. These containers were first donated in 2006 by Andrew Bunting, the former owner of Fine Garden Creations, and the company now led by Elizabeth Haegele continues to generously help with their planting and maintenance.
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On Friday, October 12th we will imagine a day without these gardens. This effort is similar to the day without art, which highlighted the impact of public art on our daily life and consciousness. There will be signs marking the town gardens and pots and some gardens will be emptied. If you haven't yet done so, we encourage you to take a moment to join the Swarthmore Horticultural Society by clicking on "JOIN US" above and to become involved in lending a hand towards the maintenance of these gardens for our town. We depend on volunteers to help water, weed, and maintain these public spaces for all of us to enjoy. And please come shop at our bulb sale on Saturday, October 13th at 9:30 am at the farmers' market!!
☃️ Fall Changeover/ SHS Gardens Tucked in for Winter...
 Alex's Garden - Oct. 2016
The October 2016 changeover of the SHS Town Center Gardens marked the end of a beautiful summer gardening season in Swarthmore. Some SHS gardens, such as Alex's Garden at the Post Office (at left), sported some colorful mums throughout October, and then, in late November, underwent a second changeover to ornamental kale and cabbage. Other SHS gardens, such as the War Memorial (at right), donned kale and cabbage early, but paired them with perky pansies. As in past years, the town containers were replanted by Fine Garden Creations (thank you, FGC, for your gift!) and now feature hardy winter shrubs.
One autumn surprise (in a season of surprises...) was the bumper crop of peanuts in the Co-op Garden. In the photo below/ center, Judy Penney (Co-op Garden Manager) admires the peanut harvest with Charles Cresson. By December, the Central Park planters were decked with holiday colors and berries. Happy New Year to all! |
War Memorial - Oct. 2016
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October Changeover for the Containers
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Peanut harvest at the Co-op Garden
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Central Park containers - Dec. 2016
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SHS Unveils TWO Newly Renovated Gardens in Town Center!
Bill begins to plant -June'16
garden fans
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a small section of the Butterfly Garden in August
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⬅︎ Park Slope Garden is transformed into the Park Avenue Butterfly Garden! 🐝🐝🐝 As a part of this spring's Central Park construction, the former SHS garden that sloped down from the Park Avenue sidewalk to the Borough Hall parking lot is now a level landscape, full of colorful native plants specially selected to attract and sustain pollinators. Garden Manager Bill Pinder designed this magical space with the help of Amy Hart, who funded the purchase of all the plants. In the middle of June's first heat wave, Bill planted the garden, and he has watered and lovingly maintained it over this hot, dry summer. By July, the crowds of butterflies, honeybees, and human fans were gathering to admire his work. 🐝 Many thanks to Bill and Amy for making this amazing metamorphosis possible. 🐝 |
Dotty on (a very hot) planting day
Central Park Container Garden Adds Dramatic Sparkle to the Central Park Town Green! ➜
When the bulldozers tore up the Borough Hall parking lot this spring, they also tore up the SHS Dartmouth Avenue Garden, managed by Dotty Lee. In place of the shady Dartmouth Avenue Garden, Dotty was asked to take on the care of the plantings in the newly designed (and very sunny) Central Park Town Green. Moreover, she was tasked with figuring out how to complement the Green's plantings with seasonal interest. The answer? Six sleek, tall containers to be filled twice a year with beautiful flowers and greenery! With the help of her husband, Rick, Dotty had the first iteration of the snazzy pots ready in time for Central Park's July 4th dedication. The containers, which are designed to withstand Swarthmore's winters, have a special irrigation system designed by Rick Lee. Thanks to the Centennial Foundation for supporting this project and paying for the containers. Thanks to Dotty and Rick for their amazing work!
⬇︎ (Below - the Containers in August 2016) ⬇︎
When the bulldozers tore up the Borough Hall parking lot this spring, they also tore up the SHS Dartmouth Avenue Garden, managed by Dotty Lee. In place of the shady Dartmouth Avenue Garden, Dotty was asked to take on the care of the plantings in the newly designed (and very sunny) Central Park Town Green. Moreover, she was tasked with figuring out how to complement the Green's plantings with seasonal interest. The answer? Six sleek, tall containers to be filled twice a year with beautiful flowers and greenery! With the help of her husband, Rick, Dotty had the first iteration of the snazzy pots ready in time for Central Park's July 4th dedication. The containers, which are designed to withstand Swarthmore's winters, have a special irrigation system designed by Rick Lee. Thanks to the Centennial Foundation for supporting this project and paying for the containers. Thanks to Dotty and Rick for their amazing work!
⬇︎ (Below - the Containers in August 2016) ⬇︎
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 Co-op tulips - Spring 2014
Revisit Your Favorite SHS Gardens electronically!
Take a horticultural walk down memory lane. If you click on the "Our Gardens" tab at the top of this Home page, you can see the many iterations of our 13 gardens. We have an archive of photos of our gardens from 2014 until now. ⬅ Remember this beauty? It's a camassia blooming in Centennial Park in spring 2014. Camassia were also featured in the SHS 2013 fall bulb sale. |
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Mimi Nenno works magic at Raised Bed
Many, many thanks to our garden managers and all garden volunteers who help to replant the town garden beds during Spring and Fall Changeover Days! You are the heart of SHS!