Describe your garden.
We are located in the middle of a 10+ block business district in Northwest Philadelphia. The publicly-viewable front of the house gardens includes a white and silver-themed perennial shade garden, a vibrant bed of rotating annuals, window boxes, and five large sidewalk containers that I refresh seasonally. Throughout the year, there are a lot of passersby, and I strive to create an environment that makes one stop and smile.
The “backyard” mostly runs parallel to our home. In this area, I endeavor to create a series of garden rooms that best match the light conditions of each area. The backyard includes a woodland garden, a formal courtyard with a triangular-shaped boxwood border, a perennial border, and a kitchen garden with tomatoes, peppers, beans, garlic, parsley, basil, chives, rosemary, and more. Multiple water features and a diversity of shrubs, trees, and other plantings and accents contribute to a serene scene for pollinators and humans.
Overall, there is around 2,000 square feet of garden space, with varying sun conditions, and a good deal of shade. The gardens include four raised beds, three raised planters, and over 20 containers including urns, window boxes, and whiskey barrels.
Tell us about your 1812 townhouse.
It’s fascinating to consider all that has happened in the 200+ years since our home was built. In the 1800s, it was surrounded by acres of farmland. In the 1930s, it was a restaurant with outdoor seating; advertisements invited patrons to “dine in our garden” among “trees, shade, and beautiful surroundings.” In the 1950s, the house was a set of apartments, and the “garden” was a place to park. Then, in the mid-90s, it was converted back to a single-family home, and the gentleman who owned it transformed the garden into a paradise of topiaries, earning great acclaim. During this era, the garden was featured on Good Morning America as the “Best Garden in America.”
We moved in 5 years ago (2018) and the garden had seen better days. Many of the topiaries, shrubs, and hedges were either overgrown or in decline. Areas previously dedicated to creative flourishes or greenery became low-maintenance beds of pachysandra or gravel. Nonetheless, the garden still had good bones. I viewed it as a tremendous opportunity to honor a space that was magical in many eras by making it magical again, integrating my own gardening style.
Compared to 2018, many areas of the garden are unrecognizable, but where it’s made sense, I’ve paid homage to the garden’s past, either by maintaining those good bones or re-creating looks from previous eras.
Tell us about the first time you ever gardened.
Starting when I was around 4 years old and until I graduated from high school, I gardened in the backyard of my maternal grandmother’s small rowhouse. Together, we grew tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, radishes, carrots, mint, parsley, and many other herbs and vegetables, including pumpkins and gourds. The first plant I ever grew was a sunflower.
If you could have one gardening superpower, what would it be?
To give my plants the exact amount of water they need without being present.
Share your secrets! What’s the best gardening hack you know?
Blend vegetables & herbs with flowers & shrubs in the same beds. This mix of colors, textures, ornamentals, and edibles provides an element of surprise & beauty, making one feel as though they are in a magical place. Also, many flowers make great companions for vegetables. For example, aside from being a perfect container spiller, petunias are great companions for tomatoes, repelling tomato worms, aphids, and other pests.
How does your garden fit into the aesthetic of your townhouse?
Our townhouse is an example of Federal style architecture, which emphasizes balance and symmetry, and the gardens reflect these features. For example, a triangular-shaped boxwood border echoes the side gables of our home, and garden entryways, benches, and water features are often flanked by a set of urns or fastigiate shrubs.
How much time do you spend in the garden on a weekly basis? Do you use it for entertaining?
It varies based on the time of year, but I might spend 10 or more hours in the garden every week – especially from mid-spring to early-summer. I work at home which gives me an opportunity to stay on top of weeding, pruning, and watering during the workweek.
We use the garden for entertaining as much as we can during nice weather. Though we live on a busy street, the backyard gardens have a “secret” feel to them, and three water features dampen the sound of passing traffic. Also, the gardens are well-lit by tasteful landscape lighting, so entertaining can last well into the evening.
We asked @phillygarden to play 2 Truths and a Lie with us. Which do you think is the lie? Put your guess in the comments below!
1. My grandfather was a gardener for a living.
2. I played college basketball.
3. The first tomatoes for Heinz ketchup were grown in my hometown neighborhood.