PHS envisions this horticultural pop-up as a high-profile, three-season promotion for local food, community gardens, and its many programs, especially City Harvest, which distributes fresh produce to poor Philadelphians through a network of 45 community gardens.
In 2012, PHS plans to "pop up" again - at a different Center City location, according to Drew Becher, society president.
"About 300,000 people come into Center City each day. This can be a billboard of what's going on in community gardens all over the region," Becher said.
Cost of the garden: $80,000, all but $10,000 of it from the William Penn Foundation. Independence Blue Cross and Brandywine Realty Trust, which plan to develop the property jointly, split the difference. Edible and ornamental plants - everything from beets and okra to bee balm and Colorado blue spruce - also were donated.
Monday afternoon, as friends and employees of organizations and corporations that contributed in some way gathered, the new garden made its debut with high praise from Mayor Nutter.
"I have hated this lot for decades because there was nothing going on here," he said. "This shows that agribusiness, and paying attention to land and how we use it, mean so much."
The garden gate opens to the public on Wednesday at noon. From then until at least late October, visitors can stop by on Wednesdays and Thursdays from noon to 2 p.m. for PHS's free tours and half-hour workshops on topics such as rain barrels, organic pest control, flower arranging, container gardening, canning and preserving, and composting.
At other times, there will be scheduled children's programs, group tours and events, even tai chi classes and movies. (For information, go to www.PHSonline.org)
