Y’all, we finally caught a break! After weeks of absolutely brutal temperatures, today gave us everything we could ask for – sunshine, a nice breeze, and the kind of weather that makes you want to bottle it up and sell it (we’d be rich, I tell you!).

When Shay and I rolled up around 10 AM, I was (yet again) blown away to find people already deep into projects. There’s something magical about showing up to find your garden family already hard at work – it’s like walking into a party that’s already in full swing.

Bench Building & Community Democracy

The day kicked off with some serious infrastructure magic. Jeff had made a run to Home Depot and came back with everything needed to build some new benches that’ll match the style we’ve got over at the Eastpointe Community Garden. Jeff, along with Grayson and Will, got to work using adhesive to glue cinder blocks together and sliding boards into place.

Here’s the cool part – we didn’t just plop these benches down anywhere. The whole crew gathered around and democratically deliberated over the perfect spots. You know you’ve got a solid community when people care enough to debate bench placement! We ended up with a nice half-circle arrangement that’ll take about a week to fully cure, but that didn’t stop us from putting them to immediate use. I appointed myself as the head of QC and so far they get 5-stars.

The Pruning Power Squad

Shay started tackling the giving garden with some serious pruning action, and before you know it, everybody was pitching in to help. What would normally take forever became a group effort that wrapped up in less than an hour. Lauren was there trimming tomato plants, Jody was weeding the pollinator garden, and Khy was right in the mix helping out wherever needed.

Speaking of Khy and Sam – these two are definitely becoming part of the regular crew, and it’s awesome to see them taking ownership of the space!

Jimmy’s Back! (And Jody Lost Her Mind)

Okay, this might have been the highlight of my entire day. Our friend Jimmy – the 82-year-old cycling legend who charmed us all a few weeks back – showed up again!

Picture this: I’m across the street when I see Jody literally running toward Jimmy with open arms for the biggest hug you’ve ever seen. The pure joy on both their faces was absolutely priceless. Jimmy hung out with everybody, showing off that incredible energy that just makes everyone around him smile. Seriously, I don’t know how anyone could ever dislike this guy.

Produce Stand Success

We had a serious abundance situation today! Lauren got to the garden around 10 AM and set up the produce stand, then harvested about 5 pounds of fresh peppers and cucumbers (yes, more pickling cucumbers – they’re taking over!). The leftover produce from yesterday’s Eastpointe garden party found a perfect second home here, and Jeff had held onto it overnight to make sure nothing went to waste.

Lauren and I even filmed a little video showing off everything we had available, letting the community know about our free produce stand that runs every Sunday from 12-2 PM. We’re hoping this helps build more awareness about this awesome resource we’re creating for the neighborhood.

I personally witnessed 6 different families stop by for fresh veggies before I had to head out at 1 o’clock. That’s real impact happening right in our community!

Garden Drama: Caterpillars vs. Vegetables

We harvested our very first rainbow pepper today – and what a beauty it was! I’m not even sure if that’s a real style of pepper but this thing was yellow, red, orange, and green all at once. It was the size of a softball too. I completely forgot to snap a photo (rookie mistake!), but trust me, it was a sight to behold.

Now, about those swallowtail caterpillars… These little growing teenagers have completely demolished all the dill and sacrificial plants we set aside for them, and now they’re eyeing our actual vegetables with hungry determination. Shay had to relocate them away from our food plants, so we’re definitely going to need more dill and other plants to keep these guys happy. If anyone wants to help us cover the costs of feeding our increasingly demanding caterpillar teenagers, we’d appreciate a few bucks tossed our way!

The Perfect Weather Payoff

With about a dozen volunteers throughout the day and gorgeous weather that finally gave us a break from the heat, today was exactly what community gardening should feel like. Sitting on those new benches in the shade, feeling that continuous breeze cooling everything off – it was the kind of day that reminds me why we do this.

Brainstorming & Building Community

Between all the work, people were hanging out in the shade, brainstorming about a potential potluck in the coming weeks and discussing other projects we want to tackle before the season winds down. There’s something special about watching a community plan its own future together.

Jeff also got to chat with our neighbor Donna while packing up the produce stand – one of the residents who lives right next to the garden and has been watching this whole project unfold. Lauren noted how perfect the weather was and how good it felt to see all the smiles in the community. That’s the kind of positive energy that makes all our efforts worthwhile. We love this area so much.

Reflecting on This Wild Journey

You know what blows my mind? We’re barely two months into this garden actually existing, after eight months of crazy planning sessions with the city, and it feels like this place has been here for years! The way this community has embraced the garden is absolutely incredible.

We’ve literally met dozens of different people from the neighborhood who’ve all pitched in to make this a success – bringing whatever resources or time they have. Master gardeners sharing their expertise, people with homesteads offering supplies, folks who freely admit they have no clue what they’re doing but are excited to learn, and people like myself who just want to see the community come together and have a safe place to make new friends.

There’s something really special happening here, and I think today’s garden party perfectly captured that magic.

What’s Coming Up:

• Keep an eye out for our first collaboration event with the Eastpointe Community Garden – we’re planning a potluck dinner so both garden families can come together and enjoy this beautiful third space we’ve cultivated
• Sunday garden parties continue 10am-2pm at 13690 Toepfer Rd., Warren
• Free produce stand runs 12-2pm every Sunday
• More dill planting for our caterpillar friends!

Come join us next Sunday – the soil doesn’t judge, and neither do we. Plus, you might get to meet Jimmy!