Four Seasons Total Landscaping should be named a historical landmark | Cartoon

There are over 2,000 cast aluminum markers scattered across Pennsylvania intended to “capture the memory” of important places and events throughout the commonwealth’s history.

Not surprisingly, Philadelphia has a bunch. The next should be added outside Four Seasons Total Lawncare.

The small horticulture business became a worldwide phenomenon on November 7, when former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani — acting in his role as President Donald Trump’s lawyer — staged a bizarre press conference about the election from the company’s parking lot just moments after the race was called for President-elect Joe Biden.

Why did Trump’s crew (which included a purported witness that Politico identified as a convicted sex offender) choose the landscaping company in Holmesburg as the backdrop to volley baseless conspiracy theories about voting in Pennsylvania? You’re guess is as good as mine, although the New York Times reported it was always intended to be the location of the news briefing — and NOT the Four Seasons Hotel, which the president initially promoted due to “a garbled game of telephone.”

What I do know is the previously-obscure small business has now become a global sensation. There are parody accounts on Twitter, a Zoom background (put to use by former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance), at least one original song, a VR recreation of the northeast Philly location, and merchandise for sale featuring slogans like “Make America Rake Again” and “Lawn and Order.”

There was even an 11-mile Fraud Street Run from Four Seasons Total Landscaping to the Four Seasons Hotel that was so popular, organizers decided to make it virtual (and raised $19,000 for charity in the process).

“It’s purposely unorganized and hastily put together,” creator Jeff Lyons told the Inquirer. “Giuliani did something very dumb and we’re making it dumber.”

I urge all Philadelphians to submit Four Seasons Total Landscaping to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, which administers the commonwealth’s historical marker program. History was made here in Philadelphia that day — near a sex shop and a crematorium — and future generations deserve to be reminded of it.

Here’s a roundup of some recent cartoons from me and my colleague, Signe Wilkinson. For more editorial cartoons, visit the Inquirer’s cartoon section.