Build It Up Blog
The Build It Up Blog includes entries from our gardners discussing their gardening journey and guides from our program staff regarding when to start your seeds, when to put transplants in the ground, when to fertilize, and more!
Tending Roots of Reciprocity: A First-Year Reflection
Each workshop begins with an invitation to connect with someone you do not yet know. We are asked to spend a few minutes learning about their experiences, challenges, and goals. These simple conversations feel like planting seeds of friendship and collaboration. They remind me that growing food and growing community are not separate things. They are the same practice.
Gonsalves Family Garden
So while we wait for our gardens to take off later in spring, we may as well go ahead and eat the wild and free greens that are so readily available all around us. Wild greens can be used to create vibrant salads, they can be juiced, given to chickens as a treat, or they can be used in a variety of other creative ways.
Trial & Error: Learning from Past Mistakes
By Meisha Turner As we start the third year of building a garden at our home, we’ve definitely learned a few things along the way. Some things, we got right on the first attempt. Others… well, we’re still figuring it out. But, by now we’ve had a few opportunities to...
Building a Resilient Future, One Garden at a Time: Chelsea Green
In these uncertain times, I believe the ability to grow our own food is a powerful tool for resilience—both for ourselves and those around us… Gardening is a big task, especially if you’ve never done it before. But the truth is, this program is designed for people like us — novices, dreamers, and doers who want to make a difference in their own lives and communities.
Gardener Story: Paulina Dominguez
I have four kids, a four month old baby, a 3 year old girl and two boys, 5 and 8 years old. Part of my intention in joining this program was to learn enough about gardening so that we could start a successful garden this year and so the kids could feel more connected with the source of their food. I had no idea, but we got to learn so much more and became part of a supportive community that will be there long after we graduate.
Gardener Story: The Gonsalves Family
Our family moved to the area about a year ago. That means we had to start our garden over from scratch. It also means we had to adjust to different types of garden bugs, both pests and beneficial bugs. Luckily, we learned about many of the local pests from one of the Build It Up workshops, and we had our Build It Up binder that contains so much useful information about identifying and controlling common garden pests. Despite having some losses due to pests, we now have a game plan for how to manage garden bugs starting in spring.
Gardener Story: Mary Anne and Lee Sowers
What summer vegetable tastes like no other, and is so incredibly delicious, because the real ones are grown and harvested only during the summer…the one season, out of the entire four seasons of the year, that we cannot wait until the first one ripens, and this juicy summer delicacy, finally does appear?
You guessed it…Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes.
Gardener Story: Jamie Shamblin
Then our hardest battle yet came with the summer heat and dry weather. We had caught hundreds of gallons of rain water to help water the garden but it wasn’t enough for how hot and dry it was this year. Luckily we learned from the class that mulch works great to help hold moisture for the plants.
Gardener Story: Winnie Li
I felt so good when I saw our freezer filled up with vegetables from the garden, especially during the wintertime, I appreciated every bite of the food that came from the garden. I am so proud that I can share some of my food with the neighbors and friends.