The Giving Garden

Welcome to the Giving Garden!

This urban garden is located behind Wesley Grace United Methodist Church. Two Master Gardeners, who were church members, started it in  2017.  They appealed to the church trustees for permission to build a raised garden behind the church. Their request was granted.

The church sponsors a Boy Scout troop and one of the boys, who needed a project for his Eagle Scout badge, asked to work with the church and the two Master Gardeners to build four raised beds and place four rain barrels. Two other members of the church added two beds the following year. Two more beds were added last year when another Boy Scout also needed an Eagle Scout project. This makes eight 4-foot-by-8-foot raised beds.

 The original and continuing purpose of the Giving Garden was to teach children from the after-school program where their food comes from and for them to learn some gardening basics. The children named the garden “The Giving Garden” and a church member/art teacher helped them paint a sign. During COVID, when children were not attending school, our extension agent approved the additional focus of providing garden produce to Community Food Assistance Program, (CFAP), which provides food twice weekly for families in the area. The focus is now two-fold: teaching the children and donating produce to CFAP.

We are a small group of five Master Gardeners. Our fall garden is looking great! We started collards, Swiss chard, and kale at home and transplanted them into the garden. We sowed mustard greens, radishes, and spinach. From our summer work, there is a bag of sweet potatoes about ready to be unveiled. 

Water source issues have been a problem all year, but we are happy to say that a family member has put up three new rain barrels that don’t leak! That gives us five barrels. We urge anyone seeking hours to come and help maintain and harvest this garden when its crops are ready.

Contact Eileen Ballance @ egballance@gmail.com for more information.