Y’all, I’m still buzzing from yesterday’s garden party at South Warren! Seriously, I keep thinking about it and grinning like an idiot. We had another one of those days that reminds you exactly why we’re doing this whole community garden thing.

Michigan Weather Tried to Rain on Our Parade (Spoiler: We Won!)

Picture this: 10 AM Sunday morning, and the sky starts doing that classic Michigan “oh, you had outdoor plans?” sprinkle situation. But you know what? Our community doesn’t let a little water slow us down!

By the time Shay and I rolled up at 11 (after grabbing supplies from our Eastpointe garden family), the rain had packed up and left. The temp was sitting pretty at 70 degrees – not too hot, not too cold – just perfect for getting our hands dirty. I threw up our trusty pop-up tent just in case Mother Nature had any more surprises, grabbed a cooler full of ice, and got ready for what became our most incredible garden party yet.

Sixteen people showed up. SIXTEEN! For a garden that’s only been around for 5 weeks? That’s absolutely mind-blowing.

The Morning Crew Was Already Crushing It

Jeff rolled up early and was already being a total rockstar by 10 AM, teaming up with Zack and Lauren to position our new beds. While Zach was playing garden Tetris – you know, unscrewing wood here, repositioning there, making everything line up just right – Jeff handled the heavy lifting and tackled about a dozen other garden projects.

And can we talk about Lauren for a hot second? This woman showed up ready to WORK. Spreading cardboard in beds, filling them with compost, leveling everything out, then jumping straight into transplanting duty with Brock and Jody. Oh, and she found time to weed our pollinator bed too because apparently she’s got superpowers.

Then This Happened… (Best Garden Story EVER)

Okay, grab some coffee because this is where the day got absolutely magical.

So there’s this 82-year-young guy named Jimmy, just cruising down the street on his bike, spots us working away in the garden, and decides to stop and say hi. Normal Sunday bike ride, right?

An hour and a half later, he’s still there.

This incredible human lives just a few blocks away and ended up teaching proper shovel technique to both Nico and Lauren (overhand grip for better leverage – who knew?!). He helped us fill wheelbarrows, worked alongside Jody and Nico to get those garden beds filled up, and just… fit right in like he’d been part of our crew forever.

I mean, where else as adults do we get to just meet our neighbors like this? It’s like playground rules for grown-ups, except instead of monkey bars we’ve got tomato plants and instead of juice boxes we’ve got fresh donuts (thanks, Chloe!).

We sent Jimmy home with fresh veggies and some of those amazing donuts, but honestly? The real gift was just having him there. That’s the kind of organic community magic that makes all the planning and bed-building and early Sunday mornings worth it.

Bringing the the Love

I need to hit pause to talk about how awesome Jody is for a second! She’s one of our newer volunteers at the other garden, still finding her groove with us there, and look at her already showing up for our Warren crew too!

This woman made the trek over and absolutely crushed it – filled raised beds, planted tomatoes and peppers, leveled beds, and connected with everyone (especially Jimmy, who basically adopted her as his gardening buddy). Talk about jumping in with both feet!

This is exactly what Urban Seed collaboration looks like, folks. We’re not just individual gardens doing our own thing – we’re a whole network of people who care about growing community wherever there’s dirt to dig. Seeing Jody bridge our two gardens like that? Pure magic! 🌱

Plant Care, Mushroom Discoveries & Other Garden Magic

While all this community connection was happening, Shay was doing her plant whisperer thing – trimming leaves so they don’t touch the ground (because plant infections are definitely not invited to this party!). She even discovered these tiny mushrooms sprouting in our rich, dark soil. Nature’s little surprise gifts!

Plus, she captured some gorgeous photos that really show how alive our soil is becoming.

The Sweetest Community Support

Chloe brought fresh donuts for everyone because nothing hits quite like a pastry when you’re working up that garden appetite! Jimmy got to enjoy those treats, and Lauren even shared extras with neighbors across the street.

Our councilperson Hal showed up with his friend Diane to check on our progress. Having local leadership that actually cares about what we’re building? Chef’s kiss – absolutely priceless.

Lauren’s parents jumped right in too – her mom weed whipped while her dad and I had one of those great conversations about how fast this little garden is growing up. There’s something special about seeing multiple generations working side by side in the dirt.

Raffle Results & Future Seating Plans

Kat wrapped up our South Warren garden raffle in the most fun way possible – we recorded a video and did a live drawing using an app that randomly selects winners. The lucky person? Danielle from Kat’s crew over at Villa Italian Restaurant (shout out to her, Villa peeps!).

They’re getting $100 worth of lottery tickets, and the money we raised is going straight toward getting some comfy seating for our garden space. Maybe a picnic table, maybe something else awesome – we’ll figure it out together!

The Perfect Harvest Moment

The sweetest harvest of the day was a bright red tomato that we picked fresh for Jimmy. Watching him head home with that perfect tomato, a smile on his face, and plans to come back next Sunday? That right there is why we do this.

Post-Garden Plot Twist!

Hold up – almost forgot the cherry on top! After we all packed up and headed home, we got the sweetest surprise notification: a $40 donation through Zeffy from David. We use Zeffy for donations because they don’t take a cut -we receive the full donation.

Talk about the perfect way to wrap up an amazing Sunday! This kind of spontaneous community support just blows my mind and shows how the garden love keeps spreading even when we’re not digging in the dirt together.

Why This Day Hit Different

This was hands down our first garden party where it wasn’t melt-your-face-off hot, and you could feel the difference in everyone’s energy. People were relaxed, laughing, really connecting. There’s something about perfect 70-degree weather that just brings out the best in community gatherings.

But beyond the weather? Seeing someone like Jimmy discover our little garden oasis and naturally become part of the family – that’s the kind of magic that happens when you create space for people to just… be neighbors.

Five weeks in and we’re already seeing this level of engagement, this many volunteers, this much genuine community love. Every Sunday brings new faces, new connections, and new reasons to get excited about what we’re growing together.

Want to be part of our garden family? We’re out here every Sunday from 10 AM to 2 PM at the South Warren Community Garden. No experience needed, no sign-up required, no pressure – just show up ready to get your hands dirty and meet some incredible neighbors!

#UrbanSeed #SouthWarrenGarden #CommunityGardening #GrowingTogether #WarrenMI #NeighborsHelppingNeighbors