Love Philly? So do we. Let’s be friends. Sign up for the Billy Penn newsletter today.

Forget celebrating measly 250 years. America’s first botanical garden is celebrating nearly 300 years of inspiring national interest in nature and flora long before the nation was officially founded. 

And now, Bartram’s Garden  will be honored at this weekend’s Philly “Firstival” as the first botanical garden. 

Quaker John Bartram purchased the farmland along the lower Schuylkill River in 1728. 

From there, he turned it into America’s first garden.

The garden’s collection was diverse, said Bratram’s executive director Maitreyi Roy.  

“The Bartrams played a role in collecting plants from as far up as Nova Scotia and as far down as Florida to really bring a collection together at their home base, which is the garden today,” she said. 

Roy explained there wasn’t a lot of knowledge about plant species in America in the early days. She said having a garden like this with diverse offerings helped. 

“Bartram’s has played a role in really advancing and shaping the understanding of the natural history of this country at a time when there was a lot of curiosity about what this new nation was looking like,” she said. 

Bartrams House in the 1900s (Billy Penn file photo) Credit: Courtesy Bartram’s Garden

And, the botanical garden didn’t just propagate plants for Philadelphians to enjoy. Bratram would send these plants far and wide, garnering international attention. 

“The Bartrams started this trade practice at a time when sending anything overseas involved six months in the hull of a ship, so it was a pretty extraordinary sort of early establishment of trade that I think really inspired people in this region to have a strong focus on plants and horticulture,” she said. 

A statue commemorating this Philly “first” was created by local artist Tommy McShane. He said the garden is a unique example of the intersection between science and art. 

“I was thinking of Bartram’s Garden as this site of humans, plants, animals, all interacting with each other for thousands of years, and how it’s still a place that we can do that in the city, which is kind of rare especially in Southwest Philly,” he said. 

Artist Tommy McShane (left) and Bartram’s Garden Executive Director Maitreyi Roy (right) next to the botanical garden firstival statue rendition (Violet Comber-Wilen/Billy Penn)

Present-day park

Bartram’s Garden is now a community space for many outdoor activities – including boating, walking, biking, fishing and exploring the botanical gardens. 

Cyclists in Bartram’s Garden. (File photo/Billy Penn) Credit: Courtesy Bartram’s Garden

The garden also has the Bartram’s Mile Trail – a portion of the Schuylkill River Trail. 

The garden is hosting its annual spring celebration this Saturday, April 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

“We’re really excited because it’s part of our spring launch of the season,” she said. “There will be tons of plants, there will be tons of activities and there will be tons of music. So, it’s a chance to come out and enjoy the spring weather, and also get to know the history of the garden, which is typically not something we’ve had the chance to do.” 

This week’s firstival will be included within the Spring Fest – and will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the gardens. 

Roy said that the garden will continue to evolve and grow with the times. 

“We’ve also evolved in our current day view of what the garden should be thinking of and be responsible for in the community,” she said. 

First postmaster, American-made piano and sousaphone and Mother’s Day coming up 

Here is your full guide to all of this year’s firstivals – including where you can find this upcoming Saturday’s Firstival dates and location. 

Completed

Week 1:  Successful balloon flight in America (1793)

Week 2: The Mummers parade, the nation’s first folk parade (1901)

Week 3: Volunteer fire company (1736)

Week 4: Professional basketball league (1898)

Week 5: Public Girl Scout cookie sale (1932)

Week 6: African Methodist Episcopal congregation (1794)

Week 7: Abolitionist society in America (1775)

Week 8: Authentic Chinese gate built in America (1984)

Week 9: Public protest against slavery in America (1688)

Week 10: Flower Show (1829)

Week 11: Women’s medical college (1850)

Week 12: Matchbook (1892)

Week 13: Medical school (1765)

Week 14: Stadium (1895)

Week 15: Circus performance (1793) 

Upcoming

• Botanical garden (1728)
April 18, Bartram’s Garden, 5400 Lindbergh Blvd.

• Postmaster (1737)
April 25, Franklin Court, 322 Market St.

• American-made piano and sousaphone (1775 and 1893)
May 2, Ensemble Arts Philly, 300 S. Broad St.

• Mother’s Day (1908)
May 9, Historic St. George’s Museum & Archives, 326 New St.

• Hospital in America (1751)
May 16, Pennsylvania Hospital, 800 Spruce St.

• World’s Fair on American soil (1876)
May 23, Please Touch Museum, 4231 Avenue of the Republic

• Steamboat for passengers and freight (1787)
May 30, Independence Seaport Museum, 211 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd.

• American flag (1777)
June 6, Betsy Ross House, 239 Arch St.

• U.S. Army (1775)
June 13, Museum of the American Revolution, 101 S. 3rd St.

• Annual Reminder demonstration (1965)
June 20, Philly Pride Visitor Center, Lombard St. and S. 12th St.

• Paper maker in America (1690)
June 27, Rittenhouse Town, 6034 Wissahickon Ave.

• Bank of the United States (1791)
July 4, First Bank of the United States, 120 S. 3rd St.

• Organized baseball team (1831)
July 11 (location TBD)

• Ice cream soda (Oct. 1874)
July 18, Franklin Fountain, 116 Market St. 

• American art school (1805)
July 25, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 118-128 N. Broad St.

• Scientific Society of Natural History (1812)
Aug. 1, at Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

• Zoo in America (1874)
Aug. 8, Philadelphia Zoo, 3400 W. Girard Ave.

• U.S. Mint (1793)
Aug. 15 (location TBD)

• Selfie (1839)
Aug. 22, Love Park, 1501 John F Kennedy Blvd.

• Slinky (1943)
Aug. 29, Philadelphia Art Museum, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

• Signing of the Constitution (1787)
Sept. 5, National Constitution Center, 525 Arch St.

• Continental Congress (1774)
Sept. 12 at Carpenters’ Hall, 320 Chestnut St.

• Naming of the United States (1776)
Sept. 19, Independence Hall

• Ronald McDonald House (1974)
Sept. 26, Ronald McDonald House, 3925 Chestnut St.

• Penitentiary in America (1829)
Oct. 3, Eastern State Penitentiary, 2027 Fairmount Ave.

• The First Peoples
Oct. 10, Penn Museum, 3260 South St.

• U.S. Navy and Marine Corps (1775)
Oct. 17, Arch Street Meeting House, 320 Arch St.

• Public showing of a motion picture (1870)
Oct. 24, Philadelphia Film Society, 1412 Chestnut St.

• Modern detective story written (1841)
Oct. 31, Edgar Allan Poe House, 532 N. 7th St.

• Thanksgiving Day parade in America (1920)
Nov. 7, Benjamin Franklin Parkway

• University in America (1740)
Nov. 14, Houston Hall, The University of Pennsylvania, 3417 Spruce St.

• Children’s hospital in America (1855)
Nov. 21, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Main Building, 3401 Civic Center Blvd.

• Pencil with an attached eraser (1858)
Nov. 28, National Liberty Museum, 321 Chestnut St.

• Weather bureau (1870)
Dec. 5, The Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St.

• Electronic computer (1945)
Dec. 12, The University of Pennsylvania, 3451 Walnut St.

• Public lending library in America (1731)
Dec. 19, The Library Company of Philadelphia, 1314 Locust St.

• Philly food firsts: Cheesesteaks (1930s), water ice (1932) and bubble gum (1928)
Dec. 26, Reading Terminal Market, 1136 Arch St.