Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) Announces Winners of PHS Citywide Gardening Challenge

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) is proud to announce the winners of its PHS Citywide Gardening Challenge, celebrating Philadelphia home gardeners whose dedication is helping make neighborhoods across the city healthier and more beautiful. Winners were recognized across five categories: Decorative Container Garden, Flower Garden, Pollinator or Wildlife Garden, Vegetable or Herb Garden, and Combination Garden, showcasing the many ways Philadelphians are transforming their outdoor spaces. 

Launched in May as part of PHS's Garden Season, a season-long celebration that encourages people to experience PHS gardens, public landscapes, events, programs, learning opportunities, and community building experiences, the Challenge invited Philadelphia residents to share the outdoor home gardens they have grown and cared for, from front stoops and container displays to backyard vegetable beds and pollinator-friendly spaces. Following an initial review of garden photos, finalists advanced to in-person judging, where gardens were evaluated on horticultural practices, plant variety and suitability, maintenance, use of space, imaginative ideas, overall design, and PHS's Gardening for the Greater Good environmental principles. First, second, and third place winners were selected across the five garden categories. 

The Citywide Gardening Challenge builds on PHS’s nearly 200-year history of using horticulture to advance the health and well-being of the Greater Philadelphia region. By recognizing and supporting home gardeners across Philadelphia, the Challenge celebrates the role gardening can play in improving quality of life and beauty throughout the city. The PHS Citywide Gardening Challenge has been supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. 

“What we saw through the Citywide Gardening Challenge is how much can grow from the care someone puts into a single space,” said Matt Rader, President of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. “Across Philadelphia, people are transforming porches, yards, and other spaces into places that provide food, support wildlife, bring neighbors together, and add beauty to their communities. The Challenge gave PHS an opportunity to recognize that work and celebrate the role these spaces play in making Philadelphia a healthier, greener, and more connected city.” 

This year’s winning gardens reflect the ingenuity and thoughtfulness that Philadelphia gardeners bring to the spaces they cultivate. First-place Vegetable or Herb Garden winner Molly Voss of Roxborough transformed an overgrown city yard into Jacob Meadows Farm & Garden, where she grows vegetables, replaces invasive plants with native species, and creates habitat for wildlife. First-place Pollinator or Wildlife Garden winner Nancy Stedman’s Stedman Garden in Chestnut Hill features several distinct habitats within one-tenth of an acre, with native woodland plantings, meadow and prairie plants, and a small pond.  

PHS honored the winners and finalists of the Challenge at a special event at the PHS Pop Up Garden at Manayunk on September 24, 2026. For a full list of PHS Citywide Gardening Challenge winners, please see below. 

PHS Citywide Gardening Challenge Winners 

Decorative Container Garden 

1. First Place: Megan Wilcox, Point Breeze 

2. Second Place: Jennifer Santoro, Roxborough 

3. Third Place: JP Tucci, Queen Village 

Flower Garden 

1. First Place: Carrie Borgenicht, Pennsport 

2. Second Place: Linda Skale, Society Hill 

3. Third Place: Andy Keith, Fishtown 

Pollinator or Wildlife Garden 

1. First Place: Nancy Stedman, Chestnut Hill 

2. Second Place: Sarah McAnulty, Fishtown 

3. Third Place: Maura Reilly, Manayunk 

Vegetable or Herb Garden 

1. First Place: Molly Voss, Roxborough 

2. Second Place: Nadine Stevenson, Mt. Airy 

3. Third Place: Shawna Mclaurin, Logan 

Combination Garden 

1. First Place: Linda Brown, Roxborough 

2. Second Place: Jonathan Wheeler, Manayunk 

3. Third Place: Cheryl Weiner, Point Breeze 

To learn more about the Citywide Gardening Challenge and explore gardening resources, programs, and opportunities from PHS, visit PHSonline.org. 

About Pennsylvania Horticultural Society 

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), an internationally recognized nonprofit organization founded in 1827, uses horticulture to advance the health and well-being of the Greater Philadelphia Region. PHS programs create healthier living environments, increase access to fresh food, expand access to jobs and economic opportunity, and strengthen deeper social connections between people. PHS’s work spans 250 neighborhoods; an expansive network of public gardens and landscapes; year-round learning experiences; and the nation’s signature gardening event, the Philadelphia Flower Show. PHS provides everyone with opportunities to garden for the greater good as a participant, member, donor, or volunteer. For information and to support this impactful work, please visit PHSonline.org. 

About The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage 
The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage is a multidisciplinary grantmaker and hub for knowledge-sharing, funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, and dedicated to fostering a vibrant cultural community in Greater Philadelphia. The Center invests in ambitious, imaginative, and catalytic work that showcases the region’s cultural vitality and enhances public life, and engages in an exchange of ideas concerning artistic and interpretive practice with a broad network of cultural practitioners and leaders. 
 

                                                                            # # #