A Garden Pops Up In Center City

By Phran Novelli

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - What used to be here? Wasn't that a vacant lot? Yes, that spot, at 19th and Walnut, across from Rittenhouse Square where a movie theatre burned down years ago, sat empty until the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society just planted a Pop-Up Garden there.

It's a temporary garden and gathering place, filled with flowers, herbs, and all kinds of peppers - ornamental and edible - along with a 64-foot communal table and a collection of colorful chairs, recycled from this year's Flower Show, to bring everyone to the table. That's the theme to highlight the PHS City Harvest program, which helps 1,000 families in need enjoy fresh produce every week through a network of community gardens.

Stop by, have a seat, see what's growing, and perhaps you'll get inspired to plant a little pop-up garden yourself. Maybe there's a patch of ground or a vacant spot near where you live or work that could use some spiffing up. Come take a peek next time you're near Rittenhouse Square, and see how you can turn an eyesore into eye-candy filled with furniture, foliage, flowers and food.