400 trees and 12 new gardens: Nicetown-Tioga residents celebrate neighborhood greening initiatives

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Estelle Vaughn said she takes pride in the community garden she’s helped nourish next to her childhood home in Philadelphia’s Tioga neighborhood.

Alongside a cacophonous SEPTA train track sits a peaceful refuge where butterflies and birds flutter and chirp around sunflowers and roses, and where squash and tomato patches flourish.

“You’re driving through North Philadelphia … and you see an oasis, and people literally slow down,” Vaughn said.

Tioga Hope Garden is part of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s community-led greening initiative in the Nicetown and Tioga neighborhoods. As part of the “Love Where You Live” program, PHS and residents have helped transform 1.2 million square feet of land, plant 400 trees and grow 12 gardens over the past three years.

The organization and community members are celebrating these milestones during a “Unity Day” event Friday at the Tioga Hope Garden.

“One of our main goals is to build cohesion and build community, and it’s really beautiful to see that happen through flowers, and greening, and gardening,” said Adam Hill, director of community gardens at PHS.

Vaughn said the Tioga Hope Garden, 20 years in the making, helps residents relax, and encourages neighbors to leave their houses and mingle — something she only experienced in the neighborhood as a child.

The North Philadelphia neighborhood has a history of systemic disinvestment, and faces higher rates of poverty and violent crime. Vaughn said she wants to highlight the positive developments in the area that don’t always make the headlines.

“They wanna shock you and tell you awful things,” she said about news coverage. “Whereas the good things, can you tell us some of that too? This is a good thing that we see.”

“When people walk by, they’ll say things like, ‘Is this North Philly?’ It is North Philly,” she added.

Studies have found creating green spaces has a number of benefits, such as improved mental health, as well as a reduction in overall violent crime.

PHS said community gardens also give residents the opportunity to learn how to grow their own fresh produce. Each green space is designed under the direction of the residents who use them.

The organization also aims to improve Nicetown-Tioga’s air quality — some of the worst in the city — and curb the urban heat island effect. It’s estimated that temperatures in urban areas without tree coverage can be as much as 20 degrees Fahrenheit higher than in vegetated areas. Nicetown resident Ariel Presley is working to increase the tree canopy in the area.

Presley returned to her childhood neighborhood in Nicetown three years ago after living in Germantown.

“Moving back home, I realized the quality of air is different, and I look around and see that we don’t have enough tree canopy,” she said.

On her neighborhood street, Presley’s front porch stands out from the other row homes. Decorated with positive affirmations on plant hangers and signs, she said she wanted her porch to bring a sense of hope to her neighborhood.

Presley won a $300 cash prize for the colorful and inspirational Ghanian-themed front porch as part of PHS’ Curb Appeal Challenge, which is growing in popularity.

The organization provides residents with planters, seedlings, soil and gardening tools to encourage block beautification. Each year, residents’ porches are judged on aesthetic appeal, plant health and social connection. Presley said the friendly competition has strengthened peoples’ bond with their neighbors, and the neighborhood.

“I see more people sitting outside on their front porches. I see more plants on the porches,” Presley said. “I see people cleaning more, and taking pride in their neighborhood, their streets and just more community.”