The Fertilizer Fund
Applications will be accepted for the coming year up until February 1, 2023
Click here to Donate to 2023 Fertilizer Fund
Each year the Fertilizer Fund fills a much-needed niche by providing supplemental funds or seed money to small neighborhood projects or to larger landmark projects, all within the City of Philadelphia, which help define the horticultural landscape of The City. Projects must all be focused on horticulture; must all be 501c3, not-for-profit organizations; and all within the city limits of Philadelphia.
We welcome contributions of any amount to the Fertilizer Fund Annual Giving 2022-2023. 100% of all contributions goes directly to the projects selected for that year. Credit card or electronic check donations can be made by using the secure link listed above. Checks should be made payable to: The Philadelphia Committee of the GCA and mailed to: Binney McCague, PCGCA treasurer. Please include your name and address so we may thank you and mail you a receipt.
The PCGCA is an exempt organization as described in section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.
Photos posted when project is complete
The Fertilizer Fund for 2020-21 funded 18 grants totaling $51,391 to the projects listed below
Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $5,000
BARTRAMS GARDEN: www.bartramsgarden.org (FOOD, EDUCATIONAL GRANT) Plants, seeds and planting materials for the children's educational food garden.
CHIPPING HILL MICRO FARMS www.chippinghillmicrofarms.org ( EDUCATIONAL AND COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT GRANT) Topsoil, organic potting mix, and seeds.
CLARKE SCHOOLS for HEARING and SPEECH: www.clarkeschools.org ( EDUCATIONAL GRANT) Mulch, plants, garden boxes, flower boxes and soil.
HISTORIC FAIR HILL: www.historicfairhill.com (FOOD AND COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT GRANT) Tools, pots, soil and 6 fruit trees for school yard.
GREENSGROW:www.greensgrow.org ( EDUCATIONAL GRANT) Native pollinator plant, bee houses and water source supplies for the Pollinator demonstration garden.
MAGEE REHABILITATION HOSPITAL:www.mageerehab.org (EDUCATIONAL GRANT) Heirloom seeds, soil,, fertilizer, pest management, herbs annuals and perennials for their rooftop horticultural therapy and butterfly garden.
FRIENDS OF LAUREL HILL AND WEST LAUREL HILL CEMETERY: www.thelaurelhillcemetery.org (CONSERVATION AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION GRANT) Polllinator plants and interpretative materials.
Photos shown when project is completed
METHODIST HOME/HERITAGE FARM: www.methodistservices.org (FOOD GRANT) Seeds and seed starting material, potting soil, soil amendments/fertilizer, and untreated oak stakes to produce food for the residents and farmer's market.
NEIGHBORHOOD GARDEN TRUST: www.ngtrust.org (COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT) Plants, trees, topsoil, sod and mulch for The Concert Garden.
NORRIS SQUARE NEIGHBORHOOD:www.myneighborhoodproject.org ( FOOD GRANT) Hand pruners, wheelbarros, gloves, loppers, shears, hose and hand reel.
PASTORIUS PARK: www.friendsofpastorius.org (COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT native plants for this 16 acre park.
PHS/LOGAN SQUARE: www.phsonline.org (COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT) Perennials for planting in the square..
PHILADELPHIA ORCHARD PROJECT: www.phillyorchards.org ( FOOD GRANT) To restore the Pearl Street Orchard new fruit trees, berry bushes, fruiting vines and herbaceous perennials to attract pollinators.
FRIENDS OF THE RAIL PARK:www.therailpark.org (COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT, CONSERVATION, EDUCATION ) Replace plant material and interpretative materials for a pollinator garden.
SMITH PLAYGROUND:www.smithplayground.org (EDUCATIONAL AND COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT) Plant material to landscape around the newly renovated Playhouse
STENTON:www.stenton.org (HISTORIC PRESERVATION) Screen plantings for the area around the new Dinah statue.
ST. JAMES SCHOOL:www.stjamesphila.org (HISTORIC PRESERVATION, FOOD AND EDUCATIONAL GRANT) Shrubs and plants to restore the beautiful but deteriorating historical campus grounds, vegetable seeds for the food garden.
WYCK:www.wyck.org (HISTORIC PRESERVATION GRANT) Trees, shrubs, perennials and bulbs to revitalize the ornamental beds in the rose garden..
The Fertilizer Fund for 2021-22 funded 16 grants totaling $51,251.86 to the projects listed below Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $5,205
Bartram's Garden: www. bartramsgarden.org The grant will fund the purchase of supplies for the Children's Garden including native and pollinator-friendly plants, seeds, seedlings, soil, compost, pH soil tests, bulbs and pine straw.
Photos to be posted when available
Chipping Hill Micro Farms: www.chippinghillmicrofarms.org The grant will provide funds to build a 5'X11' working greenhouse for growing vegetables at the Jonson Child Care Center in the Ogontz neighborhood. The goal is to teach their 90 pre-K children to grow and eat vegetables.
Photos to be posted when available
Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion: www.ebenezermaxwwellmansion.org The grant will provide funds to purchase blueberry bushes, new varieties of grapes, rhubarb plants for the kitchen garden, roses (with trellis), lilacs, viburnums and hydrangeas to be planted throughout this historic Victorian garden in Germantown.
Face to Face: www.facetofacegermantown.org Grant dollars will enable the purchase of garden supplies, tools and a drip irrigation system for the 25-plot community garden. Produce grown will be used to prepare the meals currently served to this Germantown community, and extras to be distributed in their fresh market-free of charge.
Add Text Here...
Historic Fair Hill: www.historicfairhill.com The grant will allow the purchase of pruning tools, two fruit tree ladders, wheelbarrows, trowels and tree tags supplies for the robust Get Up and Green community gardening program. They are working toward becoming a Level 1 arboretum.
Magee Rehabilitation Hospital: www.mageerehab.org The grant will enable the purchase of seeds, perennials and supplies for the hospital's horticultural therapy gardening program. The theme for the plantings this year is Native American plants.
Photos to be posted when available
Methodist Services: www.methodistservices.org The grant dollars will provide their Heritage Fam with funds to purchase 70 different seed varieties, potting mix, poles to support tomatoes and peppers, mulch and compost to treat the soil of the growing beds. The focus of the program is education for the students, families, residents and other program partiipants and includes onsite nutrition classes and periodic home delivered vegetables and fruit snacks.
Photos to be posted when available
Neighborhood Garden Trust (NGT)/House of Grace: www.ngtrust.org The grant is for trees, shrubs, perennials and soil for the second section of this garden which is to be a safe, tree-shaded refuge and consultation space, with a meditation labyrinth and a memoiral to community members who have passed. Our grant would be combined with grants from PHS and a family foundation to complete the project.
Photos to be posted when available
Norris Square Neighborhood Project: www.myneighborhoodproject.org Our grant will provide sturdy potting benches made of weather resistant wood, to include sinks and lights, for the community garden members.
Photos to be posted when available
North Light Community Center: www.northlightcommunitycenter.org Our grant will provide funds to create a vegetable and flower gardens in this community hub. It will involve young children, teens and families. They will learn to cook and eat the vegetables they have grown.
Photos to be posted when available
PASA Sustainable Agriculture at Saul Agricultural HS: www.pasafarming.org PASA provides education and resources for farmers working in harmony with natural ecosystems. Our grant will enable them to demonstrate how to increase the productivity of the existing orchard at Saul HS by installing vegetable crops and woody stem crops between the rows of fruit trees, and how to extend the season with both early (asparagus, ramps, rhubarb) and late (Asian pears, paw paws, winterberry) crops. The produce is used in the school cafeteria and is sold at the CSA Farm Store.
Photos to be posted when available
PHS/Logan Square Renovation - Phase 3: www.phsonline.org Our grant will provide funds to purchase evergreen trees, large stature shrubs, and expand the perennial borders. This will complete the final phase of the restoration. Open bed space will be reserved for showcasing select annuals and tropical displays.
Photos to be posted when available
Philadelphia Orchard Project/Hamuilton School: www.phillyorchards.org Our grant will provide funds to expand orchard plantings at this public K-8 school serving the Cobbs Creek area of West Philadelphia as an educational opportunity and as a site for community gatherings. They will be cared for by University of Pennsylvania Netter Center garden staff, in collaboration with school staff, students, and community volunteers. Produce will be used in culinary programs at the school and distributed to families of students and other community members.
Photos to be posted when available
Friends of the Rail Park: www.therailpark.org Our grant will provide hardy plant material for the gardens behind the swings and adjacent to the stairwell entrance of the park to maintain the health of the beds and limit their use as a walkway. The garden beds will be cordoned off and educational plant information will be provided.
Photos to be posted when available
Smith Playground: www.smithplayground.org Our grant will support two (2) projects on the site. The first is for sensory, edible and pollinator plant material to landscape the west side of the Playhouse which has been newly renovated. The second is to plant a "Bird Attraction" landscape along the east side of the building, providing shelter for the birds and an interactive opportunity for the preschool children to observe the birds nestled in the shrubs.
Photos to be posted when available
Stenton: www.stenton.org Our grant will help to complete the final phase of the meadow garden and the installation of the Dina Memorial statue. Native grasses and sedges will be added to fill in the spare area near the memorial. Sod will be laid around the statue. Some plantings will be added along 18th Street to screen the memorial and a wood chip path will be laid.
Photos to be posted when available
Photos to be posted when available
Photos to be posted when available
