Garden Stories

Stories of hope, inspiration, and of course — gardening!

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Community, Garden Education, Plant Sale, School Gardens

October 28, 2025

Growing H.O.P.E. Together: A New Chapter Begins

Community, Garden Education, Garden Stories, Healthy Eating, School Gardens

October 11, 2025

A Special Visit from U.S. Representative Hillary Scholten

Community, Garden Education, Garden Lesson Kits, Garden Stories, Gardens

October 1, 2025

🥗 Fall in the Garden: Learning, Harvesting, and Tasting

Community

September 9, 2025

Sip and Savor 2025

Garden Education, Gardens, School Gardens

August 9, 2025

Seeds of Summer: Growing, Learning, and Connecting in Our School Gardens

Community, Garden Stories, Gardens, Harvest Time, Healthy Eating

July 31, 2025

Thursday Nights in the Garden: Growing Food, Families, and Friendships

Community, Garden Stories, School Gardens

July 31, 2025

Planting Possibilities: New Accessible Garden Beds for All Students

Garden Education, Garden Stories, School Gardens

April 12, 2025

Soil Builders & Garden Friends

Garden Education, Garden Stories, Recipe, School Gardens

April 11, 2025

Aprons, Weather, and Peas: A H.O.P.E.-Filled Day of Learning

Garden Education, Garden Stories, Recipe, School Gardens

April 11, 2025

The Case of the Missing Dressing: A Great Garden Detective Adventure

Garden Education, Gardens, School Gardens, Seed Saving

March 10, 2025

Seeds, Seeds, Seeds, Seeds

Garden Education, Healthy Eating, Recipe

March 10, 2025

Carrot Detectives on the Case!

Garden Education, Garden Stories, Gardens, School Gardens

February 24, 2025

Dreaming in Green: Godfrey Elementary Students Design Their Own Gardens

Garden Education, Healthy Eating, Schools

February 8, 2025

Planting Seeds of Health: Learning, Tasting, and Growing with H.O.P.E. Gardens

Meet our Staff, Staff

January 26, 2025

Meet Julie Brunson: Growing H.O.P.E. in the Heart of Wyoming, MI

Community, Garden Education, Gardens, Reflections, School Gardens

December 30, 2024

Reflecting on 2024 and Growing Together in 2025

Garden Education, Gardens, School Gardens

November 18, 2024

Putting Our Gardens to Sleep for the Winter

Community, Garden Education, Garden Lesson Kits, School Gardens

November 18, 2024

New Fences and Expansions at Four School Gardens

Garden Education, Garden Stories, School Gardens

November 17, 2024

From Soil to Plate: First Graders Discover the Journey of Food

Garden Education, Garden Stories, Gardens

October 31, 2024

October Garden Lessons: 1st and 2nd Grades Discover the Joys of Gardening and Healthy Eating

Community, Garden Education, School Gardens

October 30, 2024

H.O.P.E. Gardens Featured in School News Network: Cultivating Community and Learning

Community, Harvest Time

October 30, 2024

An Evening of Appreciation: Celebrating Community Under Autumn Skies

Community, Garden Education, Gardens

October 22, 2024

Growing Dreams: A New Community Garden for Families & Neighbors

Garden Education, Gardens, School Gardens, Schools

October 10, 2024

A Family School Garden Adventure at STEM Night!

Garden Education, Gardens, School Gardens

October 10, 2024

Garden Detectives on the Case: Uncovering Nature’s Secrets with All Five Senses!

Gardens, Harvest Time, Recipe

October 9, 2024

Julie’s Fresh Heirloom Tomato Salad

Community, Garden Education, Garden Stories, Garden Tips, Harvest Time, School Gardens

September 25, 2024

From Bloom to Seed: Harvesting Sunflowers for Next Season’s Growth

Community, Garden Stories, Gardens, Video

September 18, 2024

Sip & Savor: An Heirloom Tomato and Mocktail Experience

Garden Education, Garden Stories, School Gardens

September 14, 2024

From Vine to Cup: Empower U Students Make Their Own Grape Juice

Community, Garden Education, Garden Stories, Harvest Time

August 29, 2024

A Beautiful Harvest: FitKids360 Summer Celebration

Garden Education, School Gardens, Schools

August 23, 2024

Parent Night Open Houses in the Garden

Community, Garden Education

August 18, 2024

H.O.P.E. Gardens with FitKids360 and Wormies Vermicompost

Garden Education, Garden Stories, School Gardens

July 22, 2024

H.O.P.E. Gardens: Cultivating Creativity and Curiosity in Summer School Gardens

Community, Garden Education

July 19, 2024

JW Marriott Supports Garden Education

Community, Garden Stories

July 16, 2024

Community Connections through Gardening: A Heartwarming Collaboration

Garden Education, School Gardens

July 15, 2024

Growing Future Gardeners!

Garden Tips

July 8, 2024

Beans: The Unsung Heroes in our Nature-Based School Gardens

Garden Tips

July 3, 2024

When Lightening Strikes: The Importance of Nitrogen in our Garden

Garden Tips

July 2, 2024

Reach New Heights: Vertical Gardening in a Nature-Based Garden

Community, Garden Education, Gardens

June 7, 2024

Growing Together: FitKids Families and HOPE Gardens Wednesday Evenings

Garden Education, School Gardens

May 7, 2024

Growing Green: Teaching Kids the Value of Garden Produce through Fun and Games

Garden Education, Garden Tips, How To

April 16, 2024

Planting and Caring for Squash Varieties

Garden Education, Garden Tips, Gardens

April 16, 2024

Planting and Caring for Brasicas (such as broccoli, cabbage, kale, and cauliflower) in Your Garden

Garden Education, Garden Tips, How To, Uncategorized

April 16, 2024

Planting and Caring for Garden Herbs

Garden Education, Garden Tips, How To

April 16, 2024

Planting and Caring for Heirloom Peppers

Garden Education, Garden Tips, How To

April 16, 2024

Planting and Caring for Heirloom Tomatoes

Garden Tips, Gardens, How To, Uncategorized

April 5, 2024

Let’s Plant Some Peas!

Community, Garden Education, Gardens

February 19, 2024

Winter Sowing!

Community, Garden Education, School Gardens, Video

February 9, 2024

WZZM-13 On Your Side visits H.O.P.E. Gardens at Oriole Park Elementary

Garden Education, How To, School Gardens, Schools

February 6, 2024

Team 21 is Garden Planning!

Garden Education, Garden Stories, School Gardens, Schools

January 18, 2024

Gimme Some Space!

Garden Tips, School Gardens

October 24, 2023

AUTUMN GARDEN TIP: TIME TO WINTERIZE!

Garden Education, Garden Stories, Harvest Time, School Gardens, Uncategorized

October 23, 2023

Bountiful Harvest at Godfrey-Lee Early Childhood Center’s School Garden

Garden Education, Garden Lesson Kits, Garden Stories, Uncategorized

October 15, 2023

Tomato Taste Test: From Skeptic to Enthusiast

Garden Education, Garden Stories, Harvest Time, Uncategorized

September 14, 2023

A Day of Discovery at Oriole Park School Garden

Community, Garden Education, Garden Stories, How To

September 12, 2023

MSU Students Tour H.O.P.E. Gardens

Community, Garden Education, Garden Stories, Harvest Time

August 31, 2023

New Garden Friends at Kent ISD

Community, Garden Education, School Gardens

August 23, 2023

Senator Winnie Brinks Visits Our Garden

Community, Gardens

August 14, 2023

FitKids 360 Harvest Fest

Garden Stories, School Gardens

July 20, 2023

Exploring in the Garden

Garden Stories, Gardens, School Gardens

July 17, 2023

Summer in Our School Gardens

Reflections, School Gardens

July 13, 2023

Reflecting on H.O.P.E. Gardens’ Vision for 2024

Garden Stories, School Gardens, Schools

April 30, 2023

Plants Need Light to Grow

Gardens, School Gardens, Schools

April 16, 2023

Unearthing the Garden’s Secret Helpers: Worms

Community, Workshop

April 10, 2023

Workshop for Our Congolese Neighbors

Community

March 19, 2023

Healthy, Fresh, Equitable Food for All! Join Team H.O.P.E. as We Walk for Good Food

Garden Stories, School Gardens, Video

March 16, 2023

Let’s Talk About Seeds!

Community, Gardens, How To, Workshop

March 11, 2023

We had a Workshop

Garden Education, School Gardens, Schools

March 7, 2023

Kids Learn About Pollination and Beekeeping

Garden Tips, Gardens, How To

March 1, 2023

March Garden Tips!

Garden Education, Garden Stories, School Gardens, Schools

February 28, 2023

February is a Good Month for Garden Planning

Garden Education, Garden Stories, School Gardens

February 8, 2023

Pinecones Are For The Birds

Garden Tips, Gardens, How To

February 7, 2023

February Garden Tips

Garden Education, School Gardens, Schools

January 6, 2023

Variety-The Spice of Life

Garden Education, Garden Stories, Gardens, School Gardens, Schools, Video

January 4, 2023

Gardening in January in west Michigan? Yes!

Garden Education, Garden Stories, School Gardens, Schools

November 20, 2022

Is it Dirt or is it Soil?

Garden Education, Garden Stories, Gardens, School Gardens, Schools, Video

November 11, 2022

A New School Garden Install

Garden Education, Harvest Time, School Gardens

September 18, 2022

Student Chefs Enjoy the Harvest

Garden Education, Harvest Time, School Gardens, Schools, Video

September 14, 2022

Harvest Time!

Garden Education, Reflections, School Gardens

August 23, 2022

Feeding the World

Garden Education, Garden Stories, School Gardens, Schools, Video

July 20, 2022

Garden Paths for Happy Feet

Community, Garden Education, Garden Stories, School Gardens, Schools

July 11, 2022

Herb Gardens for Seniors

Garden Education, Garden Stories, Gardens, School Gardens, Schools

June 22, 2022

Bugs in Our Garden!

Garden Education, Garden Stories, School Gardens

May 20, 2022

Learning About Worms

Garden Education, Recipe, School Gardens, Schools

January 18, 2022

Recipe: Fruit Kabobs

Garden Education, School Gardens, Schools

March 18, 2021

Continuing Our Impact with Remote Lessons

Garden Education, Garden Stories, School Gardens

January 5, 2021

Staff Spotlight: Meet Arthur Gardine!

Garden Education, Garden Lesson Kits, Schools

January 5, 2021

Rising to the Challenge: Online Lessons & Garden Kits

Gardens, School Gardens

September 30, 2020

H.O.P.E. Gardens Receives Farm-to-School Grant

Community, Garden Education, Gardens

September 30, 2020

Spreading H.O.P.E. During COVID-19

How To, Video

April 21, 2020

Planting in Pots! Watch Makaylee show you how

How To, Video

April 21, 2020

Makaylee Plants Cress: Cress is Best!

Garden Education, Gardens, Video

April 15, 2020

Mrs. Smith Reads Books About Gardening & Our New YouTube Channel

Uncategorized

April 13, 2020

Poverty, Privilege and Pumpkin Seeds

How To

April 11, 2020

H.O.P.E. Gardens Greenhouse: Pruning Tomato Seedlings

Garden Education, Gardens, How To, Schools, Video

April 10, 2020

Mr. Rich is planting Peas at Parkview

Community, Garden Education, Garden Tips, Gardens, How To

April 10, 2020

Rich’s Garden Tips: Gardening in your landscapes [VIDEO]

Community, Reflections

February 10, 2020

The Challenge Before Us: Feeding the World

Garden Education, Gardens, School Gardens, Schools

December 28, 2019

“Whose Garden Is It?” Kids: “It’s Our Garden!”

Garden Education, Garden Stories, Reflections, School Gardens

October 10, 2019

The Seed of Love and the Thorn of Prejudice