Autumn begins with PHS Fall Garden Festival

PHILADELPHIA - September 22, 2012 (WPVI) -- Hundreds of people welcomed in the new season at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's Fall Festival.

The event at the Philadelphia Navy Yard offered gardeners a chance to get tips and check out new specimens.

Although summer has come to an end, this is still a busy time.

"Clean up, plant for next year are basically my two goals for the next month," said Drew Becher, PHS president.

The Horticultural Society supports more than 80 community gardens across the city of Philadelphia.

The festival also gave gardeners a chance to show off their bounty. Many created colorful arrangements of flowers and produce.

"This is a green Swiss chard, this is curly kale and these are collard greens," said Viery Thomas.

Among the familiar faces on-hand were Action News' Alicia Vitarelli, Meteorologist David Murphy along with Carla Hall and Daphne Oz from ABC's The Chew.

There were a lot of fun activities for kids, including face and pumpkin-painting, potato sack races and even a chance to create and race cars made from fresh vegetables.

This was also the day that PHS members, like Barbara Browne and her daughter, get to take home free plants - one of the perks of joining.

"The plants are beautiful and I go and look at all the names and try to remember the ones I like the best. I used to have some good ones at home but you have to keep adding," said Browne.

The next big event for PHS is the flower show in the spring - next year's theme is Great Britain.

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philadelphia, local/state, amy buckman

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