Lucille’s Garden supports and enhances Tyler’s ongoing mission to provide children, adults, and families with opportunities to connect with nature through a beautiful garden display. Central to this site is the vegetable garden, surrounded by the children’s play area, rain garden, and dry garden. These displays excite the senses, solve landscape challenges, and feed the community.

At Tyler, we believe everyone should have access to healthy food, which is why almost 100% of our harvest is donated to the Media Food Bank. During the season, we harvest twice weekly to ensure consistent access to fresh produce. We feel that when people have their physical hunger met, they will be better equipped to see, delight in, and commune with each other and with nature. We also hope to empower people to grow their own food in a sustainable and healthy way. By doing this, individuals and communities can grow resilience and create access to healthy, local fruits and vegetables.

Explore below to discover resources to help you grow and maintain your own vegetable garden, as well as our newest theme, “The Frugal Garden,” which is designed to share resources and support from a community centered around gardening. You’ll also find an update on our work with the Media Food Bank through the Harvest 2022 program and information about the other landscapes you can see surrounding the garden. Be sure to stop by Lucille’s Garden next time you visit Tyler to see it in action! We will be adding regular pop-ups during the summer season to help visitors learn more and engage with the garden in person. We look forward to growing with you!

We thank the following sponsors in helping us develop and deliver quality displays and programs:

Lucille and Dr. Jerry M. Francesco, Project W, Connelly Foundation, The Foundation for Delaware County, Sun East Charitable Foundation, PECO — An Exelon Company

A special thanks to Tyler volunteers for their tireless work in the gardens, and Joan McClintock for her beautiful artwork.

Harvest 2023 Update

We are continuing our twice-weekly donations to the Media Food Bank in 2023 to help alleviate the ongoing food crisis created by the COVID-19 Pandemic. For more information about our work, check out this blog by Lynn Lampman: “A Weighty Matter – Our Neighbors in Need and Lucille’s Garden.” Our deepest thanks to the team of volunteers who help make this work possible.

The Ruin Garden

This landscape is located in the footprint of the old Spring House at Tyler. In this garden, you’ll find plants that tolerate dry, rocky conditions. Species include Kniphofia (torch lily), Campanula (bellflower) and Sedum (stonecrop). Stop by this garden to get ideas for dry and rocky portions of your landscape!

Children’s Play Area

The Children’s Play Area is located behind Lucille’s Garden. Kids (of all ages) are encouraged to climb and run in this space. Visitors can also find easy access to the Native Woodland Walk from this landscape. We ask that everyone keep to the gravel paths when returning to Lucille’s Garden. Thank you!

The Rain Garden

The Rain Garden beside the School House is intended to capture stormwater runoff from the Lucille’s Garden area, allowing the rain to filter slowly back into the soil. You’ll find species like Iris versicolor (blue flag iris) and Lobelia siphilitica (big blue lobelia). Stop by to get ideas for consistently wet places in your landscape!