The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Celebrates 200 Years and a New Website

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) is celebrating its 200th anniversary with the unveiling of a new brand identity and website.

The announcement marks the beginning of a milestone year for one of Philadelphia’s longest-standing civic institutions, offering an opportunity to reflect on its history while looking ahead to the impact it can make in the next century. That ambition led to the development of its Third Century Plan, a new strategic roadmap to guide PHS’s future. Throughout the planning process, stakeholders identified a clear opportunity to raise awareness and the reach of PHS and to build greater support for its mission. These priorities helped shape the development of the new brand identity and website.

The year-long celebration will feature special events and programming that highlight PHS’s history and lasting contributions to the region, while creating opportunities for the public to participate in its next chapter.

A New Identity and Celebrating 200 Years of Gardening

Developed in collaboration with Philadelphia-based creative studio Smith & Diction, the new brand identity draws inspiration from the natural world while reflecting PHS’s evolving role as a horticultural institution.

At its center is a redesigned PHS wordmark featuring three plants growing from its letters, creating a more immediate visual connection between PHS and the gardening at the heart of its mission. Subtle references to Philadelphia’s street grid help ground the design in the city where PHS was founded. Beyond the wordmark, the new visual system introduces an expanded garden-inspired color palette and hand-drawn botanical illustrations that reflect the wide diversity of PHS’s programs and the evolution of its work since 1827.

Together, these elements create a unified yet flexible identity that strengthens recognition of PHS while giving its many programs room to express their distinct character, including its Healthy Neighborhoods programs, Public Gardens and Landscapes, gardening education, and the Philadelphia Flower Show.

As part of this broader effort to strengthen PHS’s visibility and public engagement, the organization has also launched a redesigned website. The new digital experience makes it easier for audiences to explore PHS’s work and find ways to get involved, including volunteering, membership, and donating.

“We wanted to create a brand that feels as alive and dynamic as the work PHS does every day,” says Rob Feinberg, Chief Marketing, Communications and Sales Officer at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. “PHS is deeply woven into the fabric of this region, often in ways people might not realize. Our new identity helps bring the full spectrum of our work into focus and invites more people to discover PHS and see how small acts of gardening can add up to meaningful change for themselves, their communities, and the planet. This is just the beginning. Like a garden, our new identity will grow and evolve with the seasons, coming to life in new ways across PHS and the communities we serve over the next year and beyond.”

Explore the new PHS website at https://phsonline.org.

“Two hundred years is an incredible legacy, but what excites me most is what we can accomplish in the next hundred. We know that gardening can do far more than beautify a place. It can transform neighborhoods and strengthen the connections people have to their homes. Our ambition is to make that kind of impact possible for more people and in more places than ever before. None of this would be possible without the dedication of our members, volunteers, community partners, and supporters. As we celebrate this milestone, we hope more people will discover the role PHS plays in their everyday lives and find their own way to be part of what comes next,” says Matt Rader, President of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.

Learn more and join at PHSonline.org/support-phs/membership.