Positively Philadelphia: The South Philly Garden Tour

By Lauren Lipton

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Next Saturday afternoon, September 6th, is the fourth annual South Philly Garden Tour.

"You would never expect on some of these tiny streets, places that don't even have a tree out front, when you walk through the little tiny rowhouse, and then it just opens up onto this amazing space," says Leigh Goldenberg, a spokeswoman for the South Philly Food Co-op.  "Some will surprise you with how large they are, and some will really surprise you with how much they can do with a tiny space."

The food co-op operates the garden tour as a fundraiser, and they are hoping to raise enough money for a community-owned grocery store.

"We have the only Japanese tea garden in South Philadelphia on the tour," Goldenberg adds (top photo).  "And we have a great garden that has been in the same family in South Philadelphia for five generations."

And, she notes, there will be treats from some of the gardens as well.

"Often the host will put out something.  In the past we've had someone growing figs and they make a fig jam, so you're eating something right off the tree there.  Or, someone makes mint water with the mint that they're growing in their garden.  So you can have a taste of it as well as see it yourself and ask the owner about it."

Take your picture in a beautiful garden booth, get a free swag bag, and attend the after-garden party. All the tickets and tour details at southphillyfoodcoop.org.

Hear the extended interview in this CBS Philly podcast (runs 5:23)...

And, for this week, that's "Positively Philadelphia!"

"Positively Philadelphia" main page