On Saturday, celebrate a greenhouse’s milestone that transcends the soil beneath its roots.
For 110 years, wholesale grower George Didden Greenhouses has been the beating green heart of Hatfield Borough and the surrounding community at 57 W. Vine St.
From noon to 6 p.m., the greenhouse invites all to join a celebration of growth, resilience, and shared history during the free “Didden’s Day” event, with free food and drinks.
Crafts, food and tours will highlight the party, which features a cornhole tournament and three succulent workshops. Tours to lose yourself in a kaleidoscope of petals run every hour, starting at 1 p.m.
Didden’s Day will have door prizes every hour, with a grand prize announced at 5:30 p.m.
Children’s activities include a petting zoo, bounce house, face painting, and yard games.
Three one-hour succulent workshops will run at 12:30 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3:30 p.m.
A cornhole tournament will begin at 12:30 p.m., but requires signups ahead of time. Use the “Scoreholio” app and search “Diddens Day Competition” or “Diddens Day Fun” to signup for the tournament.
Today, Diddens Greenhouses has 32 total greenhouses in Hatfield, covering about 120,000 square feet, including three acres of production.
The greenhouse offers more than 700 varieties of annuals and perennials. It has a second location in Quakertown.
According to its website, the history of the business is as follows:
“In the mid-1800s, William Didden left his native Germany with his young family to build a life in the New World. The Diddens settled in West Philadelphia/Yeadon where they established a florist business. In time, son George grew restless and wanted to strike out on his own.
In 1914, George and his wife Laura Crist Didden moved from Philadelphia and located in the "frontier land" of Orvilla, about thirty miles north of Philadelphia. Here he joined in partnership with a Mr. Siter.
Some aspects of the partnership arrangement did not satisfy George, so in 1921 he sold his interest in the Orvilla site. That same year Didden bought two nearby acres in Hatfield Borough at the corner of West Vine Street and Butler Avenue. Soon after that, he bought an additional five acres from a neighbor. George, Laura and their two children, Caroline and Clarence, moved into the farmhouse on the property which was adjacent to the train and trolley lines.
Didden's start-up greenhouse was 240' by 30'. He also had a 95' x 30' hothouse and a 50' x 20' potting shed. During the Depression when many businesses suffered, the local florist business flourished since weddings and funerals continued to use flowers. At this time, George Didden's greenhouse served both wholesale and retail.”
