Today we’re visiting the gardens at Houston Elementary School in Northwest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Created over many years through community support and careful plant selection, these vibrant borders provide beauty, habitat, and welcoming outdoor spaces for students, staff, and neighbors. Here’s what Patrick has to say:
I am sharing photos of gardens I have planted on the grounds of Houston Elementary School (K->8th grade) which was constructed over a long-abandoned reservoir for the West Mount Airy neighborhood in NW Philadelphia. Plantings were donated by neighbors and grants were awarded to plant native species to support bees, other insects and birds.
A four-foot wall of local Wissahickon schist boarders the site where children walk or are bussed to school. Perennials were well chosen to provide interest throughout the Mid-Atlantic growing season.
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta, Zones 3–9) and native blue giant hyssop (Agastache foeniculum, Zones 3–8) provide a steady source of nectar for bees and other pollinators throughout the summer.
Here’s a seating area in front of tiger lilies (Lilium lancifolium, Zones 3–9) at the edge of a zone with many fixed tables/benches for students and staff at lunchtime.
Here’s a billowing bed of perennials with purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea, Zones 3–9), lamb’s ears (Stachys byzantina, Zones 4–8), creeping phlox (Phlox subulata, Zones 3–9), bronze fennel (Foeniculum vulgare ‘Purpureum’, Zones 4–9), and catmint (Nepeta spp., Zones 3–8). This sidewalk is the path to and from school and a street full of neighbors in 100+ year old row houses.
Another cultivar of Rudbeckia is interspersed with Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum muticum, Zones 4–8) a fragrant treat for pollinators.
Bee balm (Monarda cvs., Zones 4–9), Russian sage (Salvia yangii, Zones 4–9), and purple coneflower create another colorful combination that buzzes with pollinator activity during summer.
Across from the school, stargazer lilies, blooming hostas, and butterfly bush ‘Miss Molly’ (Buddleja hybrida ‘Miss Molly’, Zones 5–9) continue the colorful display in Patrick’s home garden overlooking the campus.
Patrick’s late Victorian home, built in the 1880s, sits directly across from Houston Elementary School. Its close proximity allows him to spend spare moments weeding, planting, labeling, and caring for the gardens that have become such an important part of the school landscape.
Lamb’s ears, variegated Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum ‘Variegatum’, Zones 3–8), and catmint spill over the old stone wall, where mosses and lichens have naturally established themselves.
Thank you, Patrick, for sharing how years of dedication, community support, and thoughtful plant choices have transformed the grounds of Houston Elementary School into a beautiful space for students, neighbors, and pollinators alike.
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