2020 Highlights from the Boston Community Gardens Most importantly, the gardens stayed open and safely operating through the pandemic. Hats off to our volunteer coordinators and others whose hard work and flexibility kept these vital sources of mental and physical health running. We were awed by the wave of interest in gardening and happy to connect eager learners with online programs and resources. Highlights included the beloved Cooking the Harvest for Kids series, a fantastic virtual Master Urban Gardener session, and a Container Gardening workshop with 300 participants!  We saw more than twice as many plot requests as ever before. New members joined our gardens in large numbers and experienced gardeners lent a hand to make their season a success. In a time when many of us were isolated from community and friends, the gardens provided an opportunity to build connection, be outdoors safely, and grow food.  When the pandemic hit, we knew our City Natives plant sales would have to look different but we also knew it was more important than ever to grow veggie seedlings and native plants for our community. We built a website and debuted an online ordering and contactless pickup system. We were excited to welcome many old as well as new faces to the nursery. We're migrating to a new site for plant sales this coming year--look for us on the Trustees online store. Our stewardship team completed several key projects. The Leyland Street garden had the finishing touches put on its new sun-shelter. New bulletin boards went up at several gardens. Hazard trees were removed and new beds were planted. Additionally, our team secured grant funding for future work at Symphony Road, Oscar Parker, and City Natives. We’ve got quite a few improvements to look back on, and more to look forward to in 2021! Kick off the gardening season with The Trustees, the City of Boston, and the gardening community! Michael Twitty, author of The Cooking Gene, on Black foodways & culinary justice Skill building workshops on gardening, herbalism, preserving & more Discussions of gardens as centers for community resilience  Keynote address & the Community Garden Awards Upcoming Virtual Events Native plant workshops hosted by our friends at JCAN-MA & the National Wildlife Federation on Feb. 2 & Feb. 16 Vegetable Garden Planning Workshop - March 4  Learn tips for small space growing and leave with a plan for the season!

The Trustees · 200 High St · 200 High Street · Boston, MA 02110-3036 · USA