Welcome to the 2026 Grave Gardener Season!

Interested in being a Grave Gardener this year? Now is your chance. Read on to find information about the Grave Gardener program, winter workshop, FAQ’s, and the 2026 Grave Gardener Program Application. Please read the information on this page thoroughly to help you decide if you’re ready to be a Volunteer Grave Gardener. The application period is open from Wednesday, January 7th, through Monday, January 19th.

The Grave Gardeners are a group of volunteers who are each assigned a cradle grave to garden at The Woodlands. Cradle graves (aka tombs in the French style, Grave Gardens) are a unique, Victorian-era monument style originally designed to be planters. When newly installed, they were tended by the loved ones of the deceased. Now, The Woodlands Grave Gardeners tend their assigned cradle grave throughout the entire growing season (March-November). The Woodlands provides plant material, workshops, demonstrations, and tools via group events scheduled throughout the growing season to support this vital group of volunteers.

*If you are a current Grave Gardener and have completed the end of year survey, please do not reapply. 

GRAVE GARDENER WORKSHOPS

Each Grave Gardener season kicks off with educational workshops. These provide historical contexts and helpful how-to’s for new and returning Grave Gardeners. Workshops are not open to the public.

The Woodlands and Grave Gardening Orientation

Full Day Workshop: Saturday, February 21, 2026
9:00am - 3:30pm at The Woodlands

Coffee and Icebreaker
Check-in, meet your fellow new gardeners, and enjoy hot drinks and light snacks.

Welcome and Introduction to The Woodlands History
The Woodlands will provide an overview of the history of the site from pre-colonial history to 18th century pleasure garden to 19th century garden cemetery, to modern day green oasis.

Philadelphia Horticultural History
Chantel White, an archeobotanist from the CAAM Lab at the Penn Museum will speak to the history of The Woodlands gardeners and gardens within Philadelphia’s horticultural landscape

Grave Gardening 101
We’ll give a tour of the private Grave Gardener webpages and their many valuable resources that can be accessed year round.

Favorite Grave Garden Plants
In this session Robin Rick, The Woodlands Facilities and Landscape Manager, will share photos of our favorite grave garden plants through the seasons and provide information about what growing companions and conditions they like. 

Grave Garden Plant Pests
In this session Margaret Pickoff, Penn State Extension educator and former Grave Gardener will share info on common garden pests and diseases and how to manage them.

Special Q and A with Returning Gardeners
Returning gardeners will share their experiences then take questions from all of you!

Recommended reading on horticulture history at The Woodlands:
Introducing The Two Williams
Found in the Floorboards
William Bartrams Travels

Expedition Volume 62 No. 3, Fall 2020
(Magazine of the Univ. of Penn. Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology featuring three articles about The Woodlands)

Intro to HSP Archives &
Social History Research

Monday, March 16, 1:30pm - 3pm OR
Wednesday, March 25, 5:30 pm - 7pm

at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania
1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia

Historical Society of Pennsylvania staff will share archive materials illustrating the rich horticulture history of The Woodlands and Philadelphia and give a brief overview of how to conduct genealogical and social history research on the person or family memorialized in your assigned Grave Garden.

There will be two sessions of this workshop—you will only need to attend one session. One will take place during the day on Monday, March 16th, and one will take place the evening of Wednesday, March 25th. Exact timing will be confirmed at the start of the Grave Gardening season.

Garden Orientation

Saturday, March 21, 2026
(Rain date: Sunday, March 22)

10:00am - 1:00pm at The Woodlands

Seeds and Plants and Soil!

The Woodlands staff and returning Grave Gardeners will be on site at The Woodlands to share tips on getting your beds ready for planting success. We will do a hands-on demonstration on how to prep your garden with fresh soil and then we’ll start digging and preparing the beds for planting. Soil and some tools will be provided. We’ll also have early plants and seeds for pick up. We’ll help you find your plot and review where to find Woodlands resources. This is the day you start to get your hands dirty, so will want to dress accordingly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is living in West Philly required to be in the program?
Tending a garden requires frequent visits to The Woodlands. Gardeners who live or work in close proximity have typically had the most success. Let us know in your application response what brings you to West Philadelphia regularly.

What will the Grave Gardeners be planting? 
All gardens will be designed (by you!) with the Victorian garden aesthetic in mind. These are ornamental gardens, not vegetable gardens. A recommended plant list of Victorian-era plants and flowers has been created by The Woodlands to help guide the gardeners. A large amount of plant material in the form of seeds, plugs, and bulbs is provided by The Woodlands, though gardeners are also welcome to supplement with additional plants. Workshops held over the winter will give gardeners a knowledge base to work from and provide historical context for the program and this particular style of gardening. Group work days, demonstrations, and events will be held throughout the growing season to help you develop new skills as a gardener, make new friends, and keep your grave gardens looking good! 

How do you become a Grave Gardener?
The application period for this season is open through January 19th. If interested, please fill out the application below. Want to try it but are new to ornamental gardening? That's okay! All levels of garden experience are welcome. 

What kind of time commitment is expected? 
Attendance at the Winter Workshops is required for all new Grave Gardeners. Grave Gardeners who have the most success dedicate at least 2-4 hours a week caring for their garden. Once gardens are established, much of the time is spent watering, but ongoing maintenance throughout the growing season is highly recommended for the healthiest, most successful gardens.

What kind of challenges can be expected?
Dealing with pests, groundhogs munching on your plants, and drought are a few challenges our gardeners have had in past years.  

Words of advice from Grave Gardeners:

“Be prepared to water often in the intense heat of the summer.”

“Moving water is hard!”

“Water water water “

“Embrace inherited plants! It can be overwhelming imagining a whole new landscape for your grave garden so look at what’s there and enjoy the experience. Ask experienced gardeners for advice - there are no silly questions and there’s so much knowledge and wisdom to be shared.”

“Definitely attend all of the workshops! They are really fun and informative.”

”Don't overthink it, just go for it! Try it out, learn from how it goes. Have fun! Introduce yourself to other GGs. Making a new, great friend through this program has been so wonderful. <3”

”Take it slow – take time to settle into your surroundings and enjoy your time at your garden. Weed often and water generously! Get to know your location's light levels and be realistic about plants that are suited for your location. Sometimes leaving a plant alone is the right move. Make peace with the groundhogs.”

“It's okay to change established plants when you adopt a grave and make it your own! The more joy / ownership you feel, the more likely you are to actively take care of your grave!”

”Garden with a friend! It is a really nice shared project and a good way to connect regularly.”

"Don't be daunted if you're not a gardener. There is plenty of support and it's about progress, not perfection!"

“Pay attention to the emails that are sent to the GGs for tips/tricks/info about upcoming GG events and events at the site that might impact GG activities.”

"Make sure you have the time! I was in love with the idea, but between my work and school schedule, it was a lot harder to get over to The         Woodlands than I thought it would be. "

"Definitely be sure to attend the group gardening days/events! Having Woodlands folks around to answer questions and i.d. plants in person was extremely helpful, and sometimes you can swap plants with other gardeners who have too much of something growing.”

"Enjoy the experience. Your planting is not etched in stone (LOL grave stone): move it, replant, add new plants, change it. Just enjoy what you planted and be surprised. You are going to make some great GG friends. "

"I'd advise a new gardener to be at their grave as often as possible - not just to water through the heat of August but because it's such a gift to watch your tiny garden change day to day."

The 2026 Grave Gardener Application is now OPEN.

To learn more about the Grave Gardeners, please visit gravegardeners.org

If you’d like to volunteer with The Woodlands in other ways, please visit our Volunteer page here.