This spring season, the Philadelphia Zoo is buzzing with excitement. America’s first zoo has announced that it will be partnering with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), working to revitalize and reimagine its famous 42-acre gardens this season, ushering in a new era for its horticultural displays.
The project begins with the recreation of four garden areas. Each bed will be filled with plants of different textures, colors, and scents unique to each garden, showcasing what horticulture can accomplish while hopefully inspiring others to protect habitats. Once completed, the gardens will include 8,150 square feet of cultivated work featuring 78 different plant species.
“Philadelphia Zoo is a destination where we invite all our guests to connect with all living things, not just the 1,900 animals in our care,” said Philadelphia Zoo President and CEO Dr. Jo-Elle Mogerman in a statement. “The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society is renowned for the work they do to bring beautiful gardens to improve the health and well-being of communities, and we’re excited to add their expertise to our 42 acres.”
The work will take place in stages, with the first of the reimagined garden beds coming later this month. The bed will be visible in front of the Zoo’s elephant and calf statue near the Zoo’s main entrance and feature bright and colorful pollinator plants like prairie coneflower and butterfly weed meant to attract and be a food source for bees, butterflies, and birds.
Guests will also soon find more than 18 large planters next to the Zoo’s upcoming flamingo exhibit, Flamingo Cove, which will give a shaded space to relax and recharge. The planters will feature small flowering or evergreen trees surrounded by plants like Plectranthus ‘mona lavender,’ hydrangea, and begonia.
The final two reimagined garden areas will be unveiled closer to fall. As guests enter the zoo, they’ll find new beds featuring a carefully selected blend of sun and shade species, with a strong emphasis on native plants. There will also be a selection of fall blooms to observe while on the PZ SEPTA Express train next to Backyard Kitchen.
ZOOtopiaries: Nature’s Sculptures
The Philadelphia Zoo has also announced the April debut of “ZOOtopiaries: Nature’s Sculptures.” These new towering, three-dimensional mosaic topiaries, designed and fabricated by Santoline Mosaiculture, are set to be spread throughout the zoo.
“At Santoline Mosaiculture, we combine art and horticultural science to forge fantastical creations,” said Vice President Sébastien Patenaude-Francoeur. “Plants are a vital part of biodiversity, and using 22 species of plants, we create patterns of fur, scales, shells and more to celebrate the breadth of life on the planet. We’re excited for our displays to make their North American Zoo debut at America’s first zoo.”
Featuring giant giraffes—21 foot-tall and weighing 9,400 lbs—butterflies, fish, and more, the new Zootopiaries are set to stun with five animal designs using 22 plant species. They will debut later this month and remain open through October.
These latest projects join the zoo’s already-opened East Coast premiere of Wildlife Rescue by Little Ray’s Exhibitions, which currently has 13 animal statues spread throughout the campus to share stories about wildlife conservation.
To learn more about the Philadelphia Zoo and its latest exhibits, visit philadelphiazoo.org.
