GIY Challenge
On behalf of the GIY protégés and every life this community garden will touch, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks. It has truly been a privilege to share this journey with you, as we’ve watched seeds turn into hope and hard work into harvests.
Our goal has been to inspire you to grow—whether it’s something old, something new, something sweet, or something savory. We believe that everyone has the potential to transform a little patch of land into a vibrant source of nourishment.
During this challenge, we’ve shown how to take what’s around us and turn it into a flourishing garden on a zero-dollar budget. Derelict land became a thriving homestead, with stakes made from non-essential plants, mulch from grass clippings, growing structures from old wood, and containers from ice cream buckets, stones, cardboard, and newspaper. Who knew recycling could look so green?
We’re proud of what we’ve grown so far: 221 okras, 113 tomatoes, 4 large bundles of chives, 3 pounds of shadon beni, 8 heads of pak choi—and that’s just the start! Right now, there are over 400 tomatoes still ripening, with eggplants, baby kales, sweet peppers, and pimentos just waiting to grace our plates. And the garden is still growing strong, producing for the community and beyond.
We hope we’ve sparked a little excitement in you too. While we had the hands to plant over 1,200 plants, remember, you can start with just two. Let your garden grow, one small step—or sprout—at a time. After all, great things come from planting seeds of change!
Current Crops:
1. Pak Choi
2. Cabbage
3. Bhagi
4. Cauliflower
5. Broccoli
6. Shadon Beni
7. Okra
8. Tomatoes
9. Chives
10. Kale
11. Pimentos
12. Baghi
13. Spanish Thyme
14. Cuban oregano
15. Ornamentals
This time around we utilized the follow:
Snail Bait
Pests:
1. Snails
2. Bush Bugs
3. Tomato Hornworm
4. Butterflies
