Event: South Philly Co-op’s Garden Tour

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Photos from the 2013 South Philly Garden Tour by marketing/communications committee volunteer Michael Holmes.

The South Philly Co-op is hosting its fourth annual South Philly Garden Tour, a self-guided tour showcasing 23 private and community gardens.

This year, the tour will visit South Philadelphia neighborhoods such as Bella Vista, Queen Village, Southwark, and Pennsport (covering the area from Fitzwater Street south to Moore Street and 2nd to 10th Streets). Each of these neighborhoods are well-known for their renovated row-homes and well-maintained community parks.

Last year’s tour raised $9,605 towards opening the South Philly Co-op’s storefront location, which the co-op is now actively seeking a space for. The co-op has 620 members signed up, and it recently hired its first staff member, Michael Lane, as its new outreach coordinator.

“The Garden Tour is our biggest annual fundraiser and community event. While our eventual goal is to open a community owned grocery store, we host a variety of events throughout the year to build community and raise money,” said Leigh Goldenberg, chair of the programming and events committee, in an email.

The self-guided tour will take place on September 6 (rain date is September 7) from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Check-in for the event begins at 12:30 p.m. at Gold Star Park, at Wharton Street between 6th and 7th, where tour goers will receive a tour map, a gift bag, and will have the opportunity to take photos in a floral photobooth.

This year’s gardens include:

• A woman who started gardening in 1999 when she bought her home on Ellsworth Street that happened to have ample backyard space, and has since become a professional gardener
• The only Japanese tea garden in South Philly
• A garden that’s been tilled by the same family for five generations
• A gardener whose dog (trained to detect ovarian cancer) has been digging up her in-ground vegetables, so she converted most of her huge garden to containers
• East Passyunk Crossing Gardens, still in development and making plans to work with students and local refugee populations
• The Wishing Well, which grows its own herbs for specialty cocktails
• A community garden featuring several Isaiah Zagar murals

In addition, an after-party will take place at The Industry at 1401 E. Moyamensing Avenue following the tour.

Tickets are available here.