Growing Together: Urban Gardening & Community Workshops

¡Haz clic aquí para leer en español!

Spring weather has finally arrived, letting us know it’s time to start planting for the season! This past month, we had the opportunity to meet our gardening project participants during our bilingual Introduction to Urban Gardening workshop held at Bluegrass Community Technical College’s Leestown Campus.

The workshop was taught by Xochitl Bautista, a University of Kentucky student studying philosophy and an avid nature lover. This workshop provided information about the concept of urban gardening and the importance of having these types of gardens in a city like Lexington, the timing of when seeds and planting grounds need to start being prepped for the season and sharing about other local resources that are available to local gardeners and farmers. Participants also received start-up kits with some tools to take home to start working on their gardens.

Attendees had the opportunity to share why they are interested in gardening, and for many, that passion is rooted in family traditions, the desire to grow their own food and explore healthier alternatives, and the positive impact gardening has on their overall well-being and mental health. It was inspiring to see that, despite coming from different backgrounds and varying levels of gardening experience, all participants shared a common joy in working with their hands and witnessing how planting a small seed can grow into something meaningful. This shared passion is what motivated many of them to join the workshop, and it excites us to see the love for urban gardening continuing to bloom throughout our community.

“I am so happy to be part of Entre Plantas and Cultura because I will learn about growing my own vegetables and plants and I am looking forward to the upcoming classes,” said Arlene Hampton, workshop participant. She shared that she has been gardening for the past two years and has learned along the way, with some success and failures but always wanting to improve. Her parents are from Michoacan and have grown up gardening and much of what she knows she has learned from them, and she would like to be able to pass on the teachings to her kids. Her goal for this growing season would be to be able to successfully plant carrots in her garden.

During the workshop, participants were given a variety of seeds to help them begin their urban gardening journey. This also created opportunities for participants to ask questions within the group and to Xochitl, fostering a meaningful exchange of knowledge. It was inspiring to see everyone encourage one another and offer support to those who were just starting out.

After the seed exchange, some participants stayed for a tour of the Peace Meals Garden, a community garden located at BCTC Leestown Campus, which will offer a space for those participants needing a plot to garden if they do not have the space at home. The community garden was established in 2009 and it provides the tools and resources for community members to plant and take care of their own plot creating accessibility and is a meaningful partnership to our grant project.

We are excited to see how our participants plan out their gardens and keep us updated on their progress. For now, you can follow Casa de la Cultura’s social media to keep posted about upcoming workshops and see more about Entre Plantas y Cultura!