Matt Radar, President of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society discussed the  nearly 200 year old society, now committed to using horticulture to make positive social and environmental change through its community of more than 300,000 supporters, volunteers, and gardeners.  He spoke of gardener engagement with programming, classes and tours, gardening support for community groups and neighborhoods, public horticulture for the city and other public grounds. We discussed Tree Tenders and Community Gardens, which beautify and improve the overall health of neighborhoods, as well as the water barrel programs, that address city temperatures, water run-off and offsets the effects of climate change.  Matt noted that programs such as Land Care, which cares for over 12,000 vacant lots, have been shown to reduce violent crime and improve mental health.  He notes that lack of tree cover and vacant lots are concentrated in neighborhoods already affected by institution health and economic inequities that tend to be racial and ethnic in origin and that PHS is addressing that with increased programming and funding drives. He notes that the number of gardeners doubled this past year and the programs they offer to beginner gardeners and campaigns such as City Harvest and Harvest 2020 take the abundance of vegetables to feed the hungry- over 34,000 pounds of food.  He spoke of gardener engagement with programming, classes and tours, gardening support for community groups and neighborhoods, public horticulture for the city and other public  and the nation’s largest horticultural event, the Philadelphia Flower Show, this year in June and outdoors, with twice the space and attendance limits for safety.  Tickets will go on sale in January.   

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