Does Your Urban Garden Rock? Enter the PHS City Gardens Contest

Is your city garden a complete urban oasis?

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) is now accepting applications for the 2012 City Gardens Contest. You can enter in either front or back yard, veggie gardens, or container-only gardens. Community gardens can participate by entering veggie & flower gardens, parks & garden blocks.

Other categories include children’s gardens or school gardens (maintained primarily by children under adult supervision) greenest block in town (a tree-lined block where residents garden in their front yards) and urban farm (entrepreneurial garden that grows and sells produce and flowers and donates a percentage to the local community). 5 new contest categories for 2012 are including green roof gardens; rain gardens; xeriscape gardens; water gardens/stormwater management; and gardens featuring native plants, art in the garden, and recycled materials.

Since this contest started in 1975, PHS believes that city gardeners deserve praise and support for their work. Winning gardeners & judges will be invited to an Awards Reception this fall, and photographs of the winning gardens will also be showcased at the event.

Apply by June 10 by visiting the PHS website, or contact Flossie Narducci at 215-988-8897 or specialevents@pennhort.org.

Photo: PHS

Julie Hancher

Julie Hancher is the co-founder and Executive Director of Green Philly, an independent media organization making sustainability accessible, affordable and actionable. Since launching Green Philly in 2008, she has grown it from a passion project into a leading voice for local climate storytelling, pairing impactful journalism with community events and experiences. Julie is a frequent speaker on climate, media innovation and the future of local journalism, and is the creator of SustainPHL and EcoFair. Outside of Green Philly, you can find her hiking, biking, traveling, or exploring Philadelphia.