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!
Gardener Story: Lisa Scholz
This is the second year that we have had a garden here in Tennessee. We are transplants from New York and had a very teeny tiny garden up there for the last few years before we moved. We were always more or less just experimenting to see if we could grow food. Our...
Gardener Story: Smith Family
The adventure of growing food for our family has been a passion of ours for a lot of years now. Every year it seems that we have new motivations and new goals to expand in various ways. This year, along with growing our usual staple crops, we have incorporated some...
Gardener Story: Pietrowski Family
During my childhood, my parents always tried to have a very small garden, but we never seemed to have the time or the ability to expand beyond tomatoes, cucumbers, and green peppers. Once or twice, they ventured into melons and pumpkins, but we weren’t very...
Garden News: Kopp Family Garden
Gardener Story: Ashley Chambers
It is May 2023 and I am in my third year of serious gardening (where I make an ACTUAL effort to not kill the plant instead of claiming I can't keep even a cactus alive). The first serious year, 2020, I planted in 2 boxes, a 10x12 area of corn, and some pots. I...
Worm Tubes: In Bed Composting
As a busy gardener with both kids and dog, a dedicated compost pile is not an option for us. We have tried many options in the past including directly throwing food scraps into the beds and a rolling composter. Neither of these options worked well in keeping the...
Gardener Story: 3 Forks Farm
Mark and I met in church around 11 years ago. He could tell you exactly how long ago. I mention this as an introduction to the careful note taker, researcher and planner that Mark is. And to underline the contrast that I am. I am the willy-nilly part of this journey. ...
Gardener Story: Carolyn Andrews
So far, so good in my second year of gardening with Build It Up. Participation in Build It Up the first year taught me the importance of a garden plan and crop rotation, and everything I have planted so far this year seems to be thriving in its location. The program...
How to Get Children Involved in Gardening: By Ashley Cline
Gardening is a great way for children to learn about nature, science, and the environment. It's also a great way for them to get exercise, fresh air, and sunshine. So why not get your children involved in gardening? Here are some tips on how to get children involved...