In 2022, a team was assembled to redesign the demonstration garden at South Park. Many and varied talents came together to address the task. Oh, what an exciting journey this has been!
Armed with aerial and elevation views, historical documents, measuring wheels, drawing materials, and lots of warm layers, the group met several times to walk the land in South Park. We devoted much thought and consideration to potential settings for the garden, starting with a detailed analysis of the original site. After giving the current field a deep study, we began to look further. With guidance from various Allegheny County sources, our new "stage" for demonstrating to and educating the public will be the grounds of the theater area. It is seated along Brownsville Road, across from the fairgrounds. The children's playground, Buffalo Inn, the park offices, and the Boy Scout flag retirement site are all nearby. This location, already a popular destination for visitors to South Park, sees much foot traffic.
Coming soon: Landscape plan for the Spectrum Garden
The 2024 Penn State Master Gardener State Conference was held in Erie, PA in June. This year, we were honored to receive the David Gibby award for the South Park Learning Garden, now in its third year and well-established as a destination in Allegheny County. It is located on the South Park Theatre site where park visitors, theatre patrons and performers of all ages come to experience just what Paul Riis had in mind when he first designed the park. All of the winning projects were recognized as new models that can be replicated in other locations within the state. 
Our design team set goals and guidelines based upon the park’s history, site surveys, and stakeholders’ input. We set a theme for developing each bed and chose plants that are primarily native and deer-resistant. Two “must-see” additions this season are a spectrum garden and a gravel garden. Both give visitors working examples of gardening options in our zone and climate. Woodchip pathways allow visitors to move through the planted areas and pause to sit on benches.
As the garden beds have grown, so has our schedule of public presentations and events. This season we have been invited to participate in two park events and one community event. Four presentations in the garden are on the schedule throughout the season, and the annual showcase event, GIP, is planned for August.
The design team includes Marilyn Germansky, Maureen Karl, Joan Kugler, Martha Swiss and Sue Wyble, plus a special shout-out to Nancy Knauss and Chris VandenBosche who have given us great encouragement. Marilyn and Joan are also the current garden co-leaders and were honored to attend the conference and accept the award. Applying for this award was an in-depth experience requiring the entire team to analyze and explain all facets of the SPLG project, from conception to plan execution. Now, we look forward to taking further steps in partnership with local merchants, theatre leadership and county authorities to address more development over the next few years. It has been a grand journey, taking this site from weeds to wonderful!
Of course, as with any project, it happens with the dedication of volunteers. We greatly appreciate every hour volunteers can devote to this project; there is something for everyone to do, and we guarantee your time will be both fun and rewarding!
