Homegrown is a Phipps program dedicated to increasing community access to fresh produce, promoting better food choices, and improving the overall health of families and children. Since its inception in 2013, Homegrown has installed over 300 raised-bed vegetable gardens at households in underserved neighborhoods and provided mentorship and resources to hundreds of community members. 

In collaboration with the Autism Connection of Pennsylvania, Let’s Move Pittsburgh hosts Sensory Friendly Hours at Phipps where individuals with sensory concerns and their families are welcome to enjoy a self-guided tour of the conservatory, including engaging sensory-friendly Discovery Station activities along the way. 

Phipps is a KultureCity® Certified venue committed to sensory inclusivity. Phipps staff have been trained by leading medical and neurodivergent professionals on how to recognize those guests with sensory needs and how to handle a sensory overload situation. Sensory bags, equipped with noise canceling headphones (provided by Puro Sound Labs), fidget tools, verbal cue cards and weighted lap pads, are available to guests at the Phipps admissions desk.

In Summer 2023, Flowers Meet Fashion featured brilliant horticultural displays and breathtaking fashion designs inspired by Billy Porter's local roots and iconic array of accomplishments as an award-winning actor, singer, director, composer and playwright. 

Black Americans have always been trailblazers, leaders, and visionaries in the world of plants — in this event, guests were able to join storyteller and author Abra Lee on a journey through American history as we celebrate these iconic plant people and their extraordinary achievements.  

Plants are intimately linked to our cultural identities and food traditions. Plants tell us where we are, and who we are in how we use them to feed ourselves. When we migrate, we carry our culture and cuisine with us. In this series, renowned chefs, culinary historians and authors from cultures around the world discussed how plants shaped their foodways.

"Faith and the Environment": explored the spectrum of beliefs about nature held by our neighbors and community members so we can understand one another and discover the hidden points where our views intersect. 

Thought leaders across disciplines held a conversation on "The Voice of Change" with the goal of helping us connect to our communities, reconnect with the natural world, and catalyze real and lasting change towards climate action and an equitable green future.

With a theme of "Wild Childhood", conversations centered around how biophilia — the innate human connection to nature — impacts the most precious and vulnerable among us: children. 

The inaugural Nature of Place Symposium  explored the human experience of biophilia, highlighted the values and importance of the concept of a biophilic city, and built excitement and appreciation for the importance of green space in cities.