By Marta Rusek 

As 2024 comes to a close, it has been a remarkable year of growth and innovation at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS). "The purpose of PHS is using horticulture to advance health and well-being, and we have really thrived in advancing that this year,” explained Matt Rader, President of PHS. 

We checked in with Matt about the biggest happenings in our work this year. From thriving public gardens to vibrant neighborhoods, here’s a look back at what we’ve accomplished together in 2024. 

United by Flowers: A Blooming Success 

After years of navigating and growing the show through the COVID pandemic, our efforts paid off spectacularly with the 2024 Philadelphia Flower Show, United by Flowers. “We brought new energy and new ideas into the show, and some incredible gardens,” Matt explained. “The Best in Show in Landscape from Apiary Studio not only offered exciting horticulture, but helped audiences think about how horticulture can be used to further health and well-being in the world.” This groundbreaking exhibit is part of the larger vision of growing the Flower Show into THE place where all of us can encounter the most exciting people, practices, and ideas using gardening for the greater good including the importance of gardening in ways that nurture biodiversity, pollinators, and resilient ecosystems that benefit both people and the environment. Guests loved the Show, driving continued attendance growth and near-record customer satisfaction.  

Next year’s Flower Show, Gardens of Tomorrow, builds on the energy and excitement of United by Flowers and invites enthusiasts and newcomers alike to envision a future where our actions today nurture a healthier planet.  

Strengthening Philly Neighborhoods One Tree and Plant at a Time 

This year, PHS deepened its commitment to creating healthier neighborhoods through initiatives like the Nicetown-Tioga Love Where You Live program. This grassroots, place-based effort brought more trees, tended community gardens, and even introduced our first-ever junior Tree Tenders course to inspire younger generations to care for their environment. This commitment to using all PHS’s resources in support of a community’s vision has continued to prove the deep impact that green interventions can have. From creating jobs to improving air quality, PHS is creating a lasting, community-led impact.  

Equally exciting is the launch of the Philly Tree Coalition, a collaborative public-private partnership co-founded by PHS and Philadelphia Parks and Recreation dedicated to implementing the visionary Philly Tree Plan. With initial funding secured to establish the Coalition housed at PHS, this initiative aims to create greener, healthier neighborhoods across the city. Alongside this, approximately $23 million in additional funding requests are pending, signaling the incredible momentum behind this program that will increase tree canopy in seven priority neighborhoods that currently have low tree canopy and higher temperatures due to the heat island effect. 

PHS also continued to advocate and expand its partnership with the City of Philadelphia in line with Mayor Parker’s vision for a safe, clean, green city with economic opportunity for all. Together, PHS and the City are expanding vacant land cleaning and greening and job training and placement as well as other green priorities.   

Growing Economic Opportunity Through Green Jobs 

Speaking of economic impact, this year PHS continued to expand our job training programs and tripled the number of participants in the process, providing nearly 120 individuals with valuable training in horticulture-related careers. We also launched a new partnership with the George W. Hill Correctional Facility in Delaware County to expand job training, fostering new pathways for personal and professional growth for returning citizens. Next up, “we'll be introducing a major job training program there, which will be big growth in terms of job creation,” says Matt. 

Integrating workforce development into our greening initiatives ensures that we’re not only enhancing local neighborhoods but also opening doors for community members in the Delaware Valley to gain meaningful skills and employment in sustainable industries. 

Deepening Community Connections Through Membership and Education 

Our membership efforts flourished in 2024, with thousands of new members joining the PHS community. Through innovative programs like our Know to Grow webinar series, member trips to stunning gardens, and workshops that connect horticulture with real-world issues like reducing gun violence, we’ve engaged our members in meaningful ways. 

Together, these programs demonstrate the impact of gardening for the greater good, from enhancing ornamental gardens to addressing complex social challenges all while creating beauty and joy. The enthusiasm and support of our growing membership and supporters base inspires us to keep reaching even greater heights. 

Moments of Inspiration That Define Our Mission 

Throughout the year, there were countless moments that reminded us why we do what we do. From teenagers in Tioga sharing how a community mentorship program shaped their lives, to driving past a newly-designed garden in the Penrose Traffic Circle in South Philadelphia and witnessing transformation in progress—these stories are a testament to the power of community-driven horticulture. 

Two particularly remarkable moments were seeing PHS’s work celebrated internationally at a global conference in Singapore and then winning an award from the lauded business magazine Fast Company as a “2024 Most Innovative Company.” Knowing that our efforts here in Philadelphia inspire those thousands of miles away underscores the importance of our mission and its far-reaching impact.  While Fast Company highlighted our innovative approach to using horticulture to drive social impact, this recognition also reaffirmed the global relevance of our work in fostering healthier, greener communities. 

Looking back, 2024 has been a year of significant growth and achievement for PHS. From expanding green jobs to transforming urban landscapes, we’ve made great strides toward creating healthier, more connected communities. And a big part of that is the result of a visionary five-year plan. 

“PHS has been guided now for five years by Vision 2027, which is our really ambitious vision for the future and strategy for growth,” Matt says. “And each decision we've made since Vision 2027 was created, has really been vetted based on that plan and our DEI statement and our values, which together guide what we do.”