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Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

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These 25 Philly Homes Were Made More Beautiful by Rain Check: Pick Your Favorite!

Jul 18, 2017
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Our Rain Check photo contest has been a big hit: over 100 residents submitted photos of their green stormwater tools!

To narrow it down, the Rain Check team picked the top 25—not an easy task, given the diverse mix of very cool projects represented in the entries. All who sent in a photo deserve a big thank you. You’re helping fellow Philadelphians realize just how beautiful managing stormwater at home can be.

Now: it’s time to vote for your favorite.

Voting ends Friday, July 28, 2017. After you pick from among the top 25, share this link with your family and friends so we can determine who has the best Rain Check project and show the rest of the city what these stormwater-fighting tools can do for a yard or patio.

We’ll announce the winners on Monday, July 31.

Here’s what the top three vote-getters will win:

1st place: PHS Family Membership which includes 4 tickets to The Philadelphia Flower Show (the 2018 theme: Wonders of Water) & many benefits. Current PHS members will receive a 1-year extension on their active membership

2nd place: $100 gift certificate to a local farm and garden center

3rd place: 2 tickets to the 2018 Philadelphia Flower Show

Ready to check out the photos and pick your favorite?

Head over to the gallery and be sure to come back every day—you’ll only have one vote per day, so look through all the entries and make it count!

If you don’t have a Rain Check project of your own but are feeling inspired by the great photos we received, sign up for one of our free workshops today and get started now.

As you can see from this contest, the free rain barrels not only capture stormwater from your roof—they can make for impressive DIY showpieces in your yard/on your patio, and the discounted landscaping and permeable paver projects are serious upgrades.

We have lots of upcoming workshops, including two at the lush new PHS Pop Up beer garden in University City.

Stop by on July 24 or on Tuesday, August 15 and enjoy the greenery while grabbing dinner and getting started on your Rain Check project.

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‘Tis the Season for Sustainability: Get a Jump on Discounted Home Greening Projects

Dec 7, 2016
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The Philadelphia Water Department wants residents to know they can save money on outdoor landscaping and other green projects by signing up for the Rain Check program—and now's a great time to get started.

Signing up for the program in the winter is a smart way to beat the spring rush and avoid longer wait times for projects like rain barrels, rain gardens, downspout planters and more. All you have to do to get set up ahead of the busy season for discounted spring greening projects is attend one of our upcoming free workshops. 

Depending on temperatures, some projects can even be completed over winter.
Rain Check is a program that helps Philadelphia residents save money on landscaping projects that capture stormwater. The program is funded by PWD and managed by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) in partnership with the Sustainable Business Network (SBN) of Greater Philadelphia. See some examples of Rain Check projects here.

Participation in the program surges during the spring and summer when residents are focused on gardening and other outside work. To encourage off-season participation, Rain Check is offering two new incentives during winter workshops:

Enter a Monthly Raffle for an Artistic Rain Barrel
Each month between now and February, Rain Check will give a specially wrapped rain barrel to one randomly selected participant. All residents have to do is attend a Rain Check workshop. Winners can choose from three designs created by Philadelphia student artists and the Mural Arts Program.

Refer a Friend for Flower Show Tickets
Past Rain Check participants who get Philadelphia residents to come to a Rain Check workshop by February 20 will have a chance to win two free tickets to this year’s Philadelphia Flower Show. Scheduled for March 11-19, this year’s show will highlight the rich horticultural offerings of Holland, and tickets at the door cost $35.

Those interested just have to spread the word about Rain Check and tell people to give their name when they register and attend a workshop. Check out the workshop schedule here and select a date and time that works for you.

Additional Rain Check workshops can also be scheduled at the request of community groups and other organizations by contacting Rosemary Howard at rhoward@pennhort.org or 215.988.8767.

How Rain Check Works
Rain Check is a Philadelphia Water Department program available to Philadelphia residents that helps people manage stormwater at home. Participants can get a free rain barrel and/or get a downspout planter, rain garden or permeable pavers installed at a reduced price.

Rain Check supports Philadelphia’s Green City, Clean Waters program, which is adding green features to neighborhoods across the City to keep excess stormwater out of sewers.

Since Rain Check started in 2012, nearly 3,500 residents have used the program to get a free rain barrel or discounted green project designed to manage stormwater runoff on their properties.

Participation from residents has led to hundreds of homes with features such as rain gardens, downspout planters filled with native plants, depaved yards, and driveways that can soak up rain thanks to permeable pavers. Because these projects help reduce pollution from stormwater runoff, PWD will contribute up to $2,000 toward improvements made through Rain Check.

Saving with Rain Check
Since the program’s start in June 2012, Rain Check participants have saved:

• $38,869 on depaving projects

• $171,832 on permeable pavers

• $88,438 on rain gardens

Over 3,000 residents have received free rain barrels and installation services, and more than 230 people used Rain Check to install garden planters connected to their downspouts at a cost of just $100.

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Thinking About Going Green at Home with Rain Check? Here’s Why Now’s the Time

Nov 16, 2016
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We’re going let you in on a little secret...

Fall and winter Rain Check workshops bring spring Rain Check projects!

While many think of spring and summer as the ideal time to do green improvements made easier through our Rain Check program—things like replacing a broken concrete pad with pretty permeable pavers or putting in a flower-filled downspout planter—there are some big advantages for those who sign up during the colder months.

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Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Celebrating the Daylighting of the West Branch of Indian Creek

May 2, 2014
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On Friday, April 25th, the Water Department and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District joined the Overbrook community for a ribbon-cutting celebrating the daylighting of the West Branch of Indian Creek. Daylighting, is the process of bringing a buried stream back above ground. Like many of Philadelphia’s historic waterways, the West Branch of Indian Creek was culverted and burried underground, becoming part of the City’s sewer network. Now, for the first time since 1928, the creek is flowing naturally and available once again for the community to enjoy.

To complete the project, 750 feet of new stream bed and 1,300 feet of reconfigured stream channel, were constructed. Additionally, the old sewer culvert, which once contained the creek, was converted to hold stormwater. As a result of these efforts an estimated 1.7 million gallons of stormwater will be kept out of our waterways, reducing one of the largest sources of water pollution in our region.

Dozens of community members joined PWD and the Army Corps for the event. Special guests included: U.S. Congressman Robert Brady, Philadelphia City Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr., State Senator Vincent Hughes and State Representative Louise Bishop.  After the opening ceremony and cutting of the ribbon, PWD engineers, Erik Haniman and Rick Howley, gave a tour of the surrounding areas associated with the Indian Creek. To brighten the sunny day even more, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society provided trees for a ceremonial tree planting.

The restoration of Indian Creek was made possible by the collaboration of U.S. Representative Robert Brady, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, the Philadelphia Water Department and most importantly the support and patience of the Overbrook Community.

In other news, the Philadelphia Parks Alliance is excited to announce that, with support from the William Penn Foundation, the Alliance is researching park and public open space programming in Philadelphia and programming best practices from around the country.Please take a few minutes to complete the Parks Alliance's Program Survey for your chance to to win a $100 gift certificate to historic Valley Green Inn, in the Wissahickon!

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