Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

Purpose: Supporting Lifelong Learning As part of the expansion of its conservatory and gardens, Phipps is involved in a regionwide initiative to restore and remediate Panther Hollow in Schenley Park. This area was once used by the public for recreational activities; in the past 30 years, it has been used by the Public Works Department for equipment and material storage. Using sustainable horticulture (a system of land care that focuses on the health of an ecostructure during land uses of all kinds, from industrial farming to neighborhood gardening), Phipps will install a free-admission Sustainable Future Garden to showcase noninvasive plant species that thrive in the Pittsburgh region with little irrigation, pesticide use, or maintenance. Interpretive signage on the garden paths will deliver educational messages about the importance of native plants and regional ecosystems, and informational Discovery Kiosks will be developed. The Sustainable Future Garden will serve as a demonstration garden from which homeowners in southwestern Pennsylvania can pull ideas for use in their own landscapes and will be supported by a larger education program, the Sustainable Horticulture Program, which will buttress the message of the garden with environmental programs for adults, K through 12 students, and educators.