About Us
Philadelphia Gardens, Inc. specializes in garden design, installation, and maintenance of gardens in center city, Philadelphia, Manayunk, Chestnut Hill, Mount Airy and Germantown.
Toni Ann Flanigan started Philadelphia Gardens, Inc. in 1984. The second year of her business, one of her clients, Fitlers Square, was awarded ‘Best of Philly” by Philadelphia Magazine.
In 1982, she started gardening professionally at a private, 45 acre estate in Jenkintown (Deerfield Estate owned by H. Thomas Hallowell, Jr.) with 6 full time gardeners on staff. Toni Ann was in charge of the flower beds which included cutting beds, rose gardens, perennial borders, shade gardens, a few garden, a wetland garden and a wildflower meadow. Deerfield was named one of the best gardens in the world by Architectural Digest Magazine.
A frequent lecturer for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, she has also lectured for the Philadelphia Flower Show for the last seven years.
In 2006, Philadelphia Gardens, Inc. won the “Best of Philly” award from Philadelphia Magazine for best Urban Garden Designer. She is rated ‘A’ on Angie’s List and is on their discriminating “Honor Roll.” Four of her gardens were featured by the American Society of Landscape Architect’s annual conference tour held in Philadelphia in 2008.
Philosophy
The company was born out of an intense love and respect for the outdoors and a fascination with design. We’ve developed from a company that started by maintaining existing gardens and developed into a company that is involved in designing, installing and maintaining gardens.
Our mission is to draw the client outside through visual beauty, fragrance and motion with a consideration for conservation and habitat. We’ve designed gardens over 25 floors up that have still attracted birds.
We love clear, effective designs, dependable perennials, year round interest, comfortable chairs, compost, easy care and, mostly… we LOVE watching and listening to songbirds as they discover a new spot to enjoy.
We are the only landscaping company we are aware of that recycles all of our plastic nursery containers (5,000 of them per year on average) and most of our yard waste.
Credentials
Best of Philly 2006
Urban Garden Designer
Blue Ribbon Winner
Philadelphia Flower Show
As Seen In
Philadelphia Inquirer
Philadelphia Home and Garden Magazine
Philly Style Magazine
Pennsylvania Gardener Magazine
Milestone Publication
Architectural Digest Magazine
Architectural Digest Publication – 33 Most Beautiful Gardens
in the World
Deerfield – An American Garden
Philadelphia Magazine - Best of Philly Urban Garden Designer
Featured Tours
Society Hill Residents Garden Tour
American Society of Landscape Architects Tour
5 projects featured
Center City Residents Association Garden Tour
Philadelphia Open House Tours
Lectures
San Francisco Garden Club 2012
Philadelphia Flower Show: 2004, 2005, 2006,
2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
City Gardening Series
Kimmel Center: Philadelphia Gardens of Center City
(Solstice Lecture) 2007, 2008
Mt Laurel Garden Club 2011
Memberships
American Society of Landscape Architecture
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Perennial Plant Association
Sierra Club
Philadelphia Botanical Club
Environmental Action
Clean Air Council
Friends of the Wissahickon
Pennsylvania Conservancy
Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Morris Arboretum