An Evening of Appreciation: Celebrating Community Under Autumn Skies
Our appreciation party for the families of our staff, board members, and volunteers unfolded on a perfect fall evening under the gazebo on the picturesque Troost family property. We kicked things off with a hearty meal of sloppy joes, cheesy potatoes, and a variety of sides. After dinner, everyone got creative, decorating and naming their […]
Julie’s Fresh Heirloom Tomato Salad
This tomato salad recipe is inspired by my nature-based garden in Michigan, where a variety of heirloom tomatoes brings vibrant color and fresh flavor to every dish. We started gardening this way over a decade ago, and now it’s a lush, thriving space that yields beautiful fruit with minimal effort. At this time of year, […]
From Bloom to Seed: Harvesting Sunflowers for Next Season’s Growth
Harvesting Sunflowers!
A Beautiful Harvest: FitKids360 Summer Celebration
This summer, we had the most beautiful time harvesting, preparing, and sharing a meal with the families we’ve been gardening with as part of our collaboration with FitKids360! It was a celebration of the hard work, care, and dedication these families put into growing their gardens, and the results were nothing short of amazing. As […]
Bountiful Harvest at Godfrey-Lee Early Childhood Center’s School Garden
At the Godfrey-Lee Early Childhood Center, green thumbs were out in force as students teamed up with H.O.P.E. Gardens for a rewarding harvest. Pumpkins, seeds, carrots, tomatillos, basil, tomatoes, radishes, cucamelons, sunflowers, marigolds, and zinnias were among the treasures plucked from the thriving school garden. The excitement was palpable as bags were filled to the […]
A Day of Discovery at Oriole Park School Garden
Excitement radiated through the Oriole Park School Garden as eager children finally stepped into the octagonal oasis they had helped to plant and tend in May and June. Over the summer break the garden had transformed beyond recognition, now a symphony of sunflowers, zinnias, and cosmos, inviting pollinators and students alike to partake in its […]
New Garden Friends at Kent ISD
Upon discovering the established garden on the property of their new school building, Empower U students at Kent ISD expressed a keen interest in contributing. Julie Brunson, Executive Director of H.O.P.E. Gardens, extended an invitation for them to participate in our garden volunteer days. The endeavor proved to be a resounding success for everyone involved. […]
Student Chefs Enjoy the Harvest
This week our youth garden chefs at Godfrey Middle School used their culinary skills to prepare a delectable salad. They enjoyed some mouthwatering melon and grilled veggies. Godfrey Middle lost their garden due to a school expansion so the produce was harvested at neighboring schools in Wyoming. Excess produce went home with students. We love […]
Harvest Time!
Harvest Time in our school gardens includes picking, weighing, washing, preparing, and tasting! Watch the excitement, in this video, as the students at West Godwin Elementary discover cucamelons growing from overhanging vines and show off the radishes, peppers, cucumbers, and other vegetables they have harvested. After harvesting, students took their vegetables to a scale where […]