Philadelphia Zoo Announces Spring Garden Refresh with Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and Upcoming Mosaic Topiary Display

Philadelphia Zoo is excited to announce a new partnership with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) to refresh, revitalize, and reimagine its 42-acre gardens.

This collaboration includes recreating four garden areas in highly visible locations to showcase the power of horticulture to create joy and inspire action to protect habitats. The garden beds, blueprinted by PHS designer and procurement manager Sam Keitch, will be filled with plants of different textures, colors and scents that will be unique to each garden to enhance the guest experience. In addition, this reimagination of the Zoo’s gardens includes towering, three-dimensional mosaic topiaries, fabricated by Santoline Mosaïculture and called “ZOOtopiaries: Nature’s Sculptures.” Spread out across the campus, these whimsical figures highlight the interconnection of art, plants and animals. Each is skillfully designed in meticulous patterns, creating likenesses of giraffes, butterflies and more.

“Philadelphia Zoo is a destination where we invite all our guests to connect with all living things, not just the 1,900 animals in our care,” said Philadelphia Zoo President & CEO Dr. Jo-Elle Mogerman. “The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society is renowned for the work they do to bring beautiful gardens to improve the health and well-being of communities, and we’re excited to add their expertise to our 42 acres. Plants are vital to a healthy ecosystem that supports all life on Earth, and we hope this garden refresh and the addition of these eye-catching mosaic topiaries will spark a curiosity about how we can all be better stewards for the planet.”

“PHS is proud to be the horticulture partner to bedrock institutions across the city, and we are thrilled to add the Zoo to our network,” said Matt Rader, President of PHS. “Philadelphia Zoo is a leading conservation and education organization so this was a natural partnership that aligns with our mission. We are excited to not only design new gardens but provide training opportunities for the fantastic team of horticulturalists at the Zoo.”

“At Santoline Mosaiculture, we combine art and horticultural science to forge fantastical creations,” said Vice President Sébastien Patenaude-Francoeur. “Plants are a vital part of biodiversity, and using 22 species of plants, we create patterns of fur, scales, shells and more to celebrate the breadth of life on the planet. We’re excited for our displays to make their North American Zoo debut at America’s first zoo.”

Changing with the Seasons

Zoo guests will experience the changes through the gardens over the upcoming seasons. In April, the five massive mosaic topiary scenes will arrive and be on display throughout the Zoo. Designs include giant giraffes, a preening peacock, a beautiful butterfly, a slow-moving snail and school of fantastical fish. Guests can see “ZOOtopiaries: Nature’s Sculptures” through the end of October.

Also in April, the first of the reimagined garden beds designed by PHS will be visible in front of the Zoo’s Elephant and Calf statue near the Zoo’s main entrance. This garden bed will feature bright and colorful pollinator plants like prairie coneflower and butterfly weed meant to attract and be a food source for bees, butterflies and birds. Guests will also find a series of more than 18 large planters next to the Zoo’s upcoming flamingo exhibit, Flamingo Cove. This shaded space provides guests a chance to relax and recharge. The planters will feature small flowering or evergreen trees surrounded by plants like Plectranthus ‘mona lavender’, hydrangea, and begonia.

In the fall, guests will be able to enjoy the two other reimagined garden areas of the Zoo. As guests enter, they’ll see new beds featuring a carefully selected mix of sun and shade species, with a strong emphasis on native plants that enhance ecological diversity while maintaining visual appeal. As children take a ride in the PZ SEPTA Express Train next to Backyard Kitchen, they’ll be riding past beautiful fall blooms that have been carefully selected to create a multi-season garden for all to enjoy. Parents can relax nearby with a snack and a beverage.