FREE
The 2nd Swissvale Edible Garden (Un)Tour will take place Saturday, August 8 - Sunday, August 18. 18 garden stops, including those at private homes, the Swissvale Community Garden (7301 Denniston Ave, Swissvale PA 15218), and Pittsburgh Mennonite Church (2018 S Braddock Ave, Swissvale PA 15218) will be open to visitors from 8am - 8pm each day. The twist this year is that most gardens will only be viewed from public sidewalks or alleyways.
Offering a peek into some of the area's most unique private gardens, the tour is an opportunity for Swissvalians and regional garden enthusiasts to get inspired, and learn something new.
The tour includes sites throughout the borough including the work of newer, veteran, and more experimental gardeners. Visitors can expect to see a diverse array of edible garden features such as urban chickens, fruit trees, and pollinators. Attendees to the tour are welcome to start the tour at any stop and visit as many gardens as they like. Tour-goers are encouraged to practice physical distancing at and between all tour stops and to wear masks in accordance with the current PA guidelines.
Through this FREE, community-wide event, SCAC hopes to showcase Swissvale as a great place to garden, visit, and live. We are also seeking to promote the real and tangible benefits of gardening; gardening beautifies and connects community, promotes physical and mental wellbeing, and has far-reaching ecological benefits. We hope to build confidence in newer gardeners and inspire young people to get their hands dirty and get growing.
The 2nd Swissvale Edible Garden (Un)Tour is sponsored in part by locally owned businesses Kopp Glass, Civic Mapper, The Paper Lady, Porter Loves, Tirzah DeCaria, Realtor with ReMax Select and local artist Jenna Colby.
MAP
Map Access Notes
Red pins above indicate gardens where you need navigate to an alley separate from the property address to view the garden.
1435 LaClair: Bamboo Box + More!
You are welcome to view from the sidewalk on LaClair.
1651 Hays: Herbs + Pollinators
You are welcome to view from the sidewalk on Hays and adjacent private sidewalk.
7463 Schoyer: Tomatoes + Cut Flowers
You are welcome to view from the sidewalk on Schoyer.
7460 Schoyer: The Art Garden
You are welcome to view from the sidewalk on Schoyer.
2014 Lacrosse: Just Eat It Garden
You are welcome to view from the sidewalk on Graff.
7634 Westmoreland: **IN ALLEY** The Movable Garden
You are welcome to view from the paved parking spot near the red garage in the alley off of Milligan.
2018 S Braddock: Pittsburgh Mennonite Church
You are welcome to view from the sidewalks. on South Braddock, Dickson, and adjacent parking lot.
7618 Roslyn: The Surprise Garden
You are welcome to view from the sidewalks on Roslyn and Manor.
2209 Manor: Bamboo Removal 2020!
You are welcome to view from the sidewalk on Manor and the alley between Manor and Hawthorne.
2300 Milligan: Happy Place
You are welcome to view from the sidewalk on Milligan and the alley between Milligan and Hawthorne.
2433 Woodstock: Weeds on Woodstock
You are welcome to view from the sidewalk on Woodstock or the alley on Bruce.
2448 Woodstock: **IN ALLEY** Flowers + Fiber “Yarden”
You are welcome to view from the alley on Scott (parallel to Woodstock.)
7411 Duquesne: **IN ALLEY** The Pallet Project Garden
You are welcome to view from the alley on Melcher (parallel to Duquesne.)
7324 Denniston: **IN ALLEY** The Backyard Fruit Garden
You are welcome to view from the alley between Denniston and Burton.
Collingwood + Denniston: Swissvale Community Garden
You are welcome to roam this garden freely. Please be sure to maintain appropriate physical distance from other visitors.
7219 Church: Tiny Harvest Garden
You are welcome to view from the sidewalk on Hanover.
1276 Commercial: Veggies + Wildflowers
You are welcome to view from the sidewalk on Commercial and the adjacent driveway.
2000 Columbia: The Sage Garden
You are welcome to view from the sidewalks on Columbia and Francis.
Getting ready to attend the 2nd Swissvale Edible Garden (Un)Tour? Here's some stuff to know!
This tour is fully self-guided or CYOA (Choose Your Own Adventure.) Start at any stop you like, and visit as many as you like. Even split your visits across multiple days.
The digital interactive map can be found above. Printed garden stop lists will be available at the Swissvale Library and a few other local businesses.
Visitors are welcome at the stops between 8am and 8pm each day from Saturday, August 8 - Sunday, August 16. Please only visit these sites within these times.
There are signs at each garden stop with information about the gardener, features of the garden, our sponsors, and guidelines about where you can view the garden from. Please respect all posted signage. Please DO NOT enter any of the garden properties unless there is specific signage that says otherwise or the property owner invites you.
We expect several, if not all, of the tour days to be hot, just since that’s what it’s normally like here in mid-August. We encourage attendees to bring your own reusable water bottles. Likewise, there's always a chance for sudden thunderstorms so an umbrella is never a poor choice.
There aren't any specific tour bathroom facilities. There are many local businesses throughout Swissvale but many of them are operating on limited hours.
The walkability of the tour is totally up to your comfort level and ability, especially given the expected heat. Swissvale is not without its hills! You are absolutely welcome to drive but please be courteous of the fact that the majority of the tour is in residential areas, so park with an awareness of your surroundings. Likewise, all the tour stops are visible from public sidewalks and alleyways, so accessibility for wheelchairs or walkers is dependant upon the general maintenance of our public rights of way, which varies, unfortunately. We recommend investigating the stops on Google Maps Street View in advance of your visit to see which ones will work better for you than others.
Take lots of photos and use the hashtag #SwissvaleGardens on Instagram!
This event is completely free for all visitors. It is made possible through the tireless efforts of many community volunteers and our sponsors.