Royal Gardens Association

Royal Gardens Association was founded on Saturday, October 29, 2005, by Nicole Chandler. Living across the street from the open lands area of Morris Park where there is an overgrowth of invasive planting materials was not the sight she had visualized, being that it was her constant view at home.

Creating a Master Planting Plan and becoming a park adopter through the Fairmount Park Commission, she began her journey of restoring her neighborhood park into a serenity garden and outdoor educational environmental center for the seventeen schools within a one-mile radius of the park.

After clearing over 110 tons of debris, she created several perennial garden beds, a gateway entrance using a row of flowering cherry trees, a vegetable garden, and a riparian area. After beautifying this area, Nicole's vision became vivid to all those who walked or drove by. Her vision has recruited over 3000 volunteers who have committed to volunteering at the minimum of twice a year.

Royal Gardens Association has also adopted the perimeter of the Cobbscreek Golf Course and the Rose Recreation Center where the sight of these attractive landmarks in the Overbrook section of Philadelphia was blighted by an overgrowth of invasive planting materials and tons of illegal dumping. After clearing all debris and creating a native planting plan for these areas, both sites have become more visible to the public and now the Rose Recreation Center has reopened to community members.

Restoring the green space in the Overbrook section of Philadelphia is the mission of the Royal Gardens Association. In doing so, in the year of 2007 we became the Philadelphia Chapter of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. Under these organizations we are known as, "Keep Royal Gardens Beautiful". As a chapter affiliate, "Empowering Pennsylvanians to make our communities clean and Beautiful". For more information please visit www.keeppabeautiful.org

As a Penn State Master Gardener we follow the Penn State Agriculture curriculum within our vegetable garden.

Royal Gardens Association is a Pennsylvania Horticulture Society Tree Tender affiliate, under this curriculum which is also hosted by Penn State, we educate students on identification of all trees through their leaves, bark, and branches, proper tree planting method, pruning, maintenance of all tree species.

Under Master Ru we also host Tai Chi (specializing in Yang and Ru style long and short form) classes from Tuesday through Friday from 7 a.m - 8 a.m. All are welcomed.

Growing Green Curriculum

• Proper Tools and their usage for gardeners
• Landscape Designs for Specific Outdoor Areas
• Important usage for Native Plants in Landscape Design
• The Hidden meaning to why we must Landscape for Wildlife
• Hummingbirds and Butterflies, their Special purpose to Our Gardens
• The Beauty of Native Wildflower
• Companion Gardening & Interplanting with Vegetables
• Companion Gardening with Natives, Ornamentals, & Perennials
• Why use Compost or Fertilizer & the Physical Properties of Soil
• Trees and why we need them in our Environment
• Control Pest Naturally in our Homes & Garden
• How to Detect & Treat Plant Disease
• Identifying Friendly Insects and Why They are Protection to Our Environment

Biodiversity Curriculum

• Biodiversity is a Basic Economic Resource
• Recycle & Dispose of Waste Properly
• Conserve Energy
• Conserve Water & Protect Water Quality

Saturday Classes from 9 am to Noon
Starting: July 10, 2010 through September 11, 2010