The city’s long and bountiful gardening history will be on full display next month.
Bringing a little pop of life into the fall and winter, ‘Bouquet of Stories: Celebrating Philadelphia’s Gardening Heritage’ marks a new exhibition from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) and The Athenaeum of Philadelphia.
Opening Nov. 6, the free showcase will trace three centuries of horticultural history, exploring “the people, traditions and movements that have helped shape Philadelphia as one of America’s great gardening cities.” On view through Jan. 30 of next year, the exhibition is part of PHS’s yearlong celebration of its 200th anniversary.
The exhibit will feature rare objects, historic materials and photographs highlighting local stories of immigrant seed traditions, pioneering women, neighborhood greening efforts and the evolution of the now world-renowned Philadelphia Flower Show.
"This exhibit and new garden space amplify The Athenaeum's core programmatic and collections focus on Philadelphia's built and designed environment in new and exciting ways," says Beth Hessel, Executive Director of The Athenaeum of Philadelphia. "This partnership with PHS and the Philadelphia gardening community is an opportunity for us to share the abundance of stories of diverse communities and individuals whose gardening traditions and practices enrich our city."
As aforementioned, the launch comes with the debut of The Athenaeum Garden, which was conceived by award-winning landscape designer Wambui Ippolito in collaboration with PHS and local gardeners. Created as “a tranquil garden of fragrance” and developed through a year of community collaboration, the space showcases the diverse horticultural features found throughout the city’s neighborhoods. The exhibition also provides a window into PHS’s own two-century history.
“As PHS approaches its 200th anniversary, Bouquet of Stories gives us an opportunity to celebrate not only Philadelphia’s extraordinary gardening history, but the people and communities who made that history possible,” notes Matt Rader, President of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.
“For generations, Philadelphians have used gardening to create beauty, build community, share knowledge, and care for the places they call home. Those stories are an important part of our city’s history, and they continue to inspire the work PHS does today and our vision for the next 200 years.”
'Bouquet of Stories: Celebrating Philadelphia’s Gardening Heritage' will be free and open to the public Nov. 6, through Jan. 30, 2027, at The Athenaeum of Philadelphia (219 S. 6th St.). For more information, visit philaathenaeum.org/exhibitions
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