How To Be A Graveyard Green Thumb
by Hadas Kuznits
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- For those who like gardening, how about gardening in a cemetery? All you have to do is submit an application.
Jessica Baumert, Executive Director of The Woodlands Cemetery in West Philadelphia says their "grave gardening" program began last year in an effort to clean up and beautify their site.
"We have a large quantity of a type of headstone here on site that has a head and a footstone, but it also has side pieces and they were originally built to be planted and families would come here and plant them in the Victorian Era," Baumert explained.
Prior to planting, gardeners learn about the cemetery.
"We also do a workshop on 19th century plants and what varieties would've been available and really try to encourage our gardeners to plant based on what may have been planted here in the 19th century," said Baumert.
What's the draw?
"It really feels good to plant someone's grave that maybe is otherwise forgotten," Baumert said.
Baumert describes the program as a community.
"People have made lots of friends through the program; at our group planting phase, we went through a phase when everyone was bringing baked goods to share!" she said.
The deadline for applications is January 20th.
"We've had over 80 applicants already," Baumert said.
The maximum number of gardeners this year will be 125.