Our Gardens
Our network of gardens connects us to the land and its stories. They ground us to a sense of purpose and history, allowing us to bridge the importance of preserving cultural heritage and land stewardship from the past into the future.
These gardens offer a sense of belonging, allowing us to creatively invent and innovate from a place of understanding and respect. The lessons learned from the land are immeasurable, teaching us the interconnectedness of all things and providing knowledge that can be applied to all aspects of life.
Each garden represents a unique aspect of Puerto Rican history. From the West African huts in Villa Africana Colobó to the replica “casita” in Las Parcelas, our gardens provide a beautiful and meaningful space for community members to gather, learn, and grow.
The Butterfly Garden
The Butterfly Garden is a memorial garden to NSNP Co-Founder Natalie Kempner. It is adjacent to the NSNP rowhomes and supports outdoor programming and activities for youth and staff while also supporting the neighborhood ecology. The surrounding fences and walls are covered with painted clay butterflies and mosaics about Puerto Rican culture. Youth from the NSNP program are currently working to redesign this garden to better support their learning.
La Paz
La Paz is an intimate green space promoting peace and reflection. The large lofty trees, flowers, and secluded setting not only create a beautiful refuge, but, also attract pollinator species such as butterflies to support the larger ecosystem. Music programming for neighborhood children will be offered there in the Spring of 2023.
El Batey
Named for the plazas around which the Taino people built their communities, held ceremonies, and played games, El Batey is a garden dedicated to honoring indigenous Taíno visual language and the agricultural traditions of Borikén — the archipelago today known as "Puerto Rico." PLEASE NOTE: In 2022 El Batey was unexpectedly damaged by a builder who dug into our garden and moved our fence 15 feet to facilitate the construction of an apartment building. It has been restored and designed, with the raised beds forming the shape of the Taíno sun.
Las Parcelas
As our largest garden, Las Parcelas covers 21 lots. The larger community often uses this space, offering events and cultural workshops, along with the Campesinxs raised beds where members can grow their own foods. In this garden, you can find La Casita de Abuela which is a typical house made of wood in rural Puerto Rico. La Casita is its own mini-treasure; it stands as a "living museum” curated by elders and residents who donate sentimental housewares and items that embody life in the Puerto Rican countryside. The garden is surrounded by murals representing the garden's history and founding.
Raíces
Raíces is a permanent community hub and a central home for the seasonal youth-led Farm Stand. This green space embodies the amalgamation of Puerto Rican culture and history. Programming this hub encourages neighbors to connect with one another while enjoying the outdoors, local vendors, fresh produce, and cooking workshops.
Villa Africana Colobó
Villa Africana Colobó explores the West African diasporas intrinsic to Puerto Rican and Caribbean culture. In the center of the garden, there are three poetic interpretations of West African-style huts and a large storytelling room where artifacts, crafts, and books from Africa and Puerto Rico tell the stories of traditions and cultural practices. And, outside, it features el Fogón, our special outdoor kitchen.
IRIS BROWN
Iris Brown is a remarkable woman dedicated to the rich exchange of culture, agriculture, and food, amplifying this diasporic connection between her Kensington neighborhood in Philadelphia and her hometown of Loíza. In the early 1980s, Iris Brown co-founded Grupo Motivos, bringing together Puerto Rican women from different parts of Puerto Rico, united by the desire to use their surroundings to create beautiful spaces for their children and neighbors, ultimately converting abandoned lots into award-winning gardens and ancestral education sites.
She is the visionary force behind the Norris Square Neighborhood Project gardens, including El Batey, Las Parcelas, the Butterfly Garden, Raíces, and Villa Africana Colobó. Iris's contributions extend beyond urban gardening, collaborating with artists like Pepón Osorio, farmers like Owen Taylor from True Love Seeds, and cultural producers like Marángeli Mejía-Rabell.
Her culinary creations, deeply rooted in Puerto Rican traditions and the wisdom of her mother and grandmother, serve as an additional dimension of her work, shaping her into a cultural and culinary steward. Iris's practice embodies the relationship between culture, agriculture, and food, ensuring the preservation of traditions for generations to come.
BROWN
Tomasita Romero
Tomasita Romero was board president of Norris Square Neighborhood Project and a founding member of Grupo Motivos, the collective of women living in Kensington who organized to create the gardens now stewarded by NSNP. Alongside Iris Brown, she helped to transform abandoned lots throughout the neighborhood in the 80s.
The gardens were her way of celebrating Puerto Rican Heritage, where she and all the members of Grupo Motivos were born. Tomasita worked tirelessly to make the green spaces vibrant and alive. As an elementary school teacher at Hunter Elementary School and a devoted member of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, she activated the gardens to bring lessons to the neighborhood's children, bringing together gardening and Puerto Rican cultural traditions and knowledge.
For me, the gardens have brought me back to my childhood. Many of us in the neighborhood spent our lives surrounded by flowers and trees in Puerto Rico. Urban Philadelphia was a jolt to my system, and I spent 35 years wishing I could see beautiful things in my neighborhood. When NSNP started working with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, we started constructing the neighborhood we always wanted.
– Tomasita Romero (1932 - 2019)
Garden Programs
Service Immersions are a transformative experience that combines community service, cultural immersion, and personal growth. Whether you're a school group, corporate team, or any other organization looking to make a meaningful impact, our Service Immersion program offers a unique opportunity to engage with an important green space. You'll gain a deeper understanding of the community's challenges, strengths, and future through hands-on service projects, interactive workshops, or cultural exchanges. Be inspired by our passionate team, connect with local leaders, and support NSNP's efforts.
Fee: varies depending on requirements, starting from $75/hour for a minimum of 2 hours with add-ons available. Please get in touch with the details of your event.
Garden Rentals provide a serene setting that beautifully captures the essence of a Puerto Rican garden. Whether you're planning a wedding, birthday celebration, or family gathering, our garden rentals offer a one-of-a-kind venue.
Fee: varies depending on requirements, starting from $75/hour for a minimum of 2 hours with add-ons available. Please get in touch with the details of your event.
We offer schools and other groups the opportunity to spend time in our gardens and share our cultural heritage through a fully immersive environmental experience. Students learn about the ways community gardens are sites of resistance, the importance of fighting back against predatory development, the ways community agriculture serves as a tool for environmental preservation, and the symbiotic relationship between foodways and identity.
Fee: $105 for up to 15 people. $7/person for any additional attendee. Tours Last from 45 minutes to one hour. If pricing would restrict your group from visiting our site please contact us as we strive to be accessible to all.
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NSNP offers cultural immersions where participants can engage in workshops and cook traditional Puerto Rican food, providing a hands-on experience of Puerto Rican culture. These immersions take place in our gardens, allowing participants to connect with the cultural traditions and history of the neighborhood. Along with cooking, we share the story of the space, the community, and the significance of preserving these traditions. Each immersion includes a cultural activity, such as making alcoholado, giving participants a direct and meaningful experience of Puerto Rican heritage.
Fee: Starting at $500 for up to 20 people for an activity, with additional services available. If price would restrict your group from visiting our space please contact us as we strive to be accessible to all.
