Giving back through gardening

As a city girl, I have green eyes to go with my green thumb--meaning that I'm insanely jealous of anyone with more space than what my urban patio allows. I wanna look out over a field filled with my seedlings. I want not have every plant I own within an arm's reach. I want something out of Little House on the Prarie, without giving up the city.

Sounds do-able, right?

It does now that I know about the Horticultural Society's volunteer days. Gardeners can use their skills, and do a little good for the community at the same time. Whether you want to work in the Azalea Garden at the Art Museum or the ivy-covered green space at the Eastern State Penitentiary, there's something for everyone.

Volunteer dates start now and extend through November.

My only complaint? All of the sites are in the Art Museum neighborhood. For those of us in South Philly--or anywhere other than Fairmount--it's a trek to get where you gotta go. I guess there's always Septa...

Another option is partaking in the Plant One Million campaign, where volunteers across Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey are aiming to add to the local treeline. The idea is that folks will get involved and help clean the air and impact the local economy at the same time. Not a bad idea, huh? I think I might hop on this. If you want to--and you'd like trees for free--you can apply to the TreeVitalize program. Keep in mind that the deadline is May 2.