A freshly planted front garden in May 2020. Half receives full sun, the other full shade. The driveway had some pre-existing Dianthus, which I was able to match down to the cultivar to fill in the row. The Azalea was also matched to its neighbors. Heat tolerant on one side, shade tolerant on the other. Best of both worlds.
Every plant you see here was grown by Halpin Garden. I cleared both sides of the garden completely of weeds by hand, followed by two successive plantings in April 2019. No herbicides were used to clear invasive vinca. After a first summer of blooms, the native perennial plants returned in greater force than ever before. Also pictured are banana plants and pots provided by Halpin Garden for indoor and outdoor atmosphere. New pics coming soon.
A freshly cleared garden bed in April 2020. The trenching and path were custom additions, for utility during harvest season. Planted here are tomatoes, peppers, beans, and aromatic herbs, surrounded by a border of wildflowers.
Custom container gardens designed for a property in Northern NJ in 2018. Rear porch garden not pictured. Tropical hibiscus highlights the front walkway, with light textured plants like Dusty Miller and Begonia provide ambience through dazzling displays of foliage.
One of our community projects at Kennett Middle School in SE PA. 18 raised beds were constructed by students adjacent to the building to house the school gardening program. Here, fresh fruit and vegetables are grown for the students and staff of the school to enjoy. The space provides both opportunity for personal growth and hands on education.
Here at Bethel AME Church in Ardmore, PA, I managed the garden program for the 2019 season. In addition to constructing, planting, and maintaining the garden of 12 raised beds, the volunteers and I ran all aspects of the gardening process. The food grown was donated to the Church itself or to local food pantries. In 2019 we grew 1,500 lbs of organic produce, including kale, lettuce, collards, cabbage, broccoli, peppers, tomato, eggplant, potato, radish, turnip, and more. Our volunteers were able to gain first hand experience and pick up tips from an experienced gardener who teaches garden management as a life skill.
Currently located at the Philadelphia Ballet Studio building in Center City, this piece and two of its twins are the centerpieces to the lobby. Built custom with untreated wood in 2018, these planters are truly one of a kind. Each plant was hand-selected from a private greenhouse to suit the conditions found in the display area. A mix of trailing and hanging plants exudes exotic energy. Swirling Cane Dracaena and Tillandsia portray tropical paradise. Hand-cut wood brings warmth to an otherwise cold, industrial building.