Perhaps you’ve been on one of the many house tours through Philly neighborhoods. While others were admiring the details in grand Victorians and nooks and crannies of restored row homes, you were peering through the kitchen window to see if your neighbor’s cherry peppers were plumper than yours. Well then, you might want to check out the second annual South Philly Garden Tour on September 8.

Garden mural

The South Philly Food Co-op is organizing the self-guided tour of 20 home and community gardens. The $20 tickets ($25 on the day of) will support the group’s efforts to establish a cooperative grocery store specializing in local, organic, and whole foods. You can buy tickets at Urban Jungle (sustainable gardening center on East Passyunk near 11th), Ultimo Coffee (cafe in Newbold at 15th and Mifflin), Grind Core House (vegan coffee shop at 4th and Greenwich), and online.

Running between 2nd and 22nd Streets east to west, and Ellsworth to Wolf Streets north and south, the tour stops will include homes of co-op members and nonmembers, as well as several community gardens, many of which are typically open to the public. Tour-goers will have the chance to swap garden stories and learn some of the fundamentals of urban gardening. Fortunately, the tour is in September, when an abundance of fruits and vegetables are in season, so many of the gardens should have diverse bounties.

Tomatoes!

Southwark Community Garden. Not on the tour, but worth checking out anyway.

The after-party takes place at Cantina Los Caballitos where anyone who purchased a tour ticket can enjoy 20 percent off beverages. (The margaritas. Get a pitcher, don’t mess around.)

The food co-op is still looking for volunteers to take photos, handle check-ins, and staff the after-party. Co-op members can count the time toward their required eight hours of service per year, and nonmembers who donate their time can apply those hours if they become a member. The co-op’s current goal is to get to 400 members. Become a member for $200 and you will own a piece of the co-op store…somewhere in South Philly. Location is TBD — once there are enough investors the co-op board will do a site analysis and start hunting for the right spot.

May we suggest Broad & Washington?

We’re into the sustainable-locally-sourced-socially-conscious vibe of this event, and appreciate the impact that events like this have on creating communities of like-minded folks. All are invited, and the hopefully the proceeds will go toward establishing a local store that provides healthy options at an affordable price for all South Philly residents.

– Ashanti M. Martin