The Woodlands Grave Gardeners

Take a Digital Tour

We developed a series of ArcGIS digital tours with maps and directions that you can enjoy from the comfort of your home or while visiting the grounds. This collection specifically explores our Grave Gardens across the 54 acres at The Woodlands.

Donate to the Grave Gardeners

The Woodlands provides our 150+ volunteer Grave Gardeners with plant materials in the form of seedlings, bulbs, and seeds. It costs approximately $15,000 annually to purchase supplies and manage the program. We rely on donations to keep the program running.

Join our Volunteer Team

We rely on volunteers for everything from historical research to leading house tours, from gardening to helping us make sure our events run smoothly. Whatever your skills might be, we'd welcome you to our volunteer team.

Want to apply to be a gardener next year?
Join our mailing list!

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Join The Woodlands mailing list below to stay updated on information about the Grave Gardeners, and application deadlines, and to learn about other volunteer opportunities and events at The Woodlands! Applications are accepted for each season beginning in January. We try to include as many volunteers as possible, however, due to the overwhelming popularity of the program we have to limit the group to 150.

Most gardeners live or work in our community of West Philadelphia, but we also have gardeners from all over the area. The skill level of volunteers ranges from people who are brand new to gardening to seasoned master gardeners.

All volunteers must attend a series of introductory workshops before they begin gardening, to set the context for the program. The Woodlands works with community partners to coordinate workshops covering gardening basics, the history of the rural cemetery movement and early horticulture in Philadelphia, tips on conducting historical research about grave residents, and finally, specifics about heirloom and Victorian plants. Gardeners then attend a planting day in early spring where they prep and plant their gardens.

The Woodlands provides gardeners with plant material in the form of seedlings, bulbs, and seeds. We also host twilight gardening workdays throughout the season to provide general assistance, and a space for volunteers to socialize with fellow Grave Gardeners.