Countdown to spring and the community gardening season at a GreenThumb workshop and event

March Monthly Newsletter

Community Engagement Coordinator Eric Thomann puts soil in seed starting trays in the Getting the Most from Your Greenhouse workshop at Green Valley Community Garden in Brooklyn last month. Photo by Kyleen Sanchez, GreenThumb

We have another workshop on how to start gardening early at our Starting Seeds in a Greenhouse or Indoors on Saturday, March 9 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Bronx. Join us, Bronx Green-Up of The New York Botanical Garden, Praxis, and Urban Cultivated to learn about sowing, growing, and documenting your plant growth from seed to mature crop. Learn more and register on our website.

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Participants at a workshop at Powell Street Garden in Brooklyn during the 2022 GrowTogether Conference that was held in multiple community gardens throughout the city. Photo by Valery Zorrilla, GreenThumb 

Register for the 40th Annual GreenThumb GrowTogether Conference

Since 1984, GreenThumb has kicked off the growing season with our annual GreenThumb GrowTogether Conference. Due to the impacts of the ongoing and unprecedented financial crisis facing the city, this year's conference will look a little different. Instead of one day of workshops, GrowTogether will take place in all five boroughs on three Saturdays in April and May. We will be partnering with other organizations to offer a variety of activities, including Loisaida United Neighboorhood Gardens (LUNGS), East New York Farms!, Rising Ground-Jamaica Community Partnership, and North Brooklyn Park Alliance 

40th Annual GreenThumb GrowTogether Conference Schedule:

April 20

  • New Hoe Avenue Garden, Bronx
    Discover the secrets of building beneficial partnerships for community gardens and join educational sessions to equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to plant and care for vibrant tropical plants in your garden. Plus, learn how to reuse milk crates for planting and transform your garden into a green paradise. Register here.

  • East Village, Manhattan:
    LUNGS Spring Awakening, an annual celebration of spring and the opening of community gardens with a neighborhood parade and celebrations at local community gardens. For updates, visit the LUNGS website.

April 27

May 4

Please stay tuned for our monthly newsletter and website for updates. Thank you for your ongoing support and efforts to keep community gardening strong and vibrant.


In Memoriam - Deadline Extended

GreenThumb will be celebrating the lives and legacies of the community gardeners we lost in 2023. Please help us honor these gardeners by sending us their names, gardens, and photos, with a brief statement about their lives as gardeners with "In Memoriam” in the subject line to greenthumbinfo@parks.nyc.gov by Friday, March 15.


Volunteers at EL Garden in Brooklyn posing with a raised bed they built during a February volunteer workday. Photo by GreenThumb

Volunteer at a Community Garden 

Lend a helping hand at a volunteer workday at It's All About Brownsville in Brooklyn on Saturday, March 30 from 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. This workday will support various projects at It's All About Brownsville and help kickstart their growing season. 

Are you new to community gardening? This is a great opportunity to learn basic carpentry skills, get to know the gardeners, and learn how to join the garden. Volunteers will work alongside gardeners and GreenThumb staff to clean up, move soil and mulch, and build raised beds.

Learn more and register here.

To sign up for a group of 10 or more, please contact Volunteer Program Coordinator Kyleen.Sanchez@parks.nyc.gov.


Searching for more volunteer opportunities?
Learn about joining a GreenThumb community garden on our website. Find more volunteer opportunities through Let's Green NYCNYC Parks' strategic initiative to engage a record number of volunteers in city parks through the end of 2024 and our agency's effort to improve the health and well-being of New Yorkers and their greenspaces.

Is your garden group thinking about planning a public workday?
Get your event listed on the Community Gardens events page by filling out the event approval request form and contact your Community Engagement Coordinator to discuss more engagement opportunities.

Workshops & Events

Please visit the Garden Events page for new additions, latest updates and to see upcoming workshops, activities, and public programs from GreenThumb, our partners, and garden groups. All free and open to the public!
You may request translation services for any GreenThumb workshop for any language at least three weeks in advance at greenthumbinfo@parks.nyc.gov.

(Clockwise L - R): Community gardeners Ali Malone at Garden of Eden in Mount Eden, Bronx (2019); Debbie Edwards-Anderson at Walt L. Shamel Community Garden in Crown Heights, Brooklyn (2023); Jennie Plewka at Smiling Hogshead Ranch in Long Island City, Queens (2022), and Kyle Scott at Hope Steven Garden in Hamilton Heights, Manhattan (2019). Photos by Zachary Schulman

Highlight of the Month:

Community Gardeners in Conversation with Zachary Schulman

Tuesday, March 13, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
The Arsenal Gallery

830 5th Avenue - 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10065

NYC Parks is pleased to present Community Gardeners in Conversation with Zachary Schulman, a moderated panel discussion on the penultimate day of his exhibition, The Community Gardener Portrait Project: New York City, currently on view at the Arsenal Gallery.

Gardeners from Smiling Hogshead Ranch in Queens, Garden of Eden in the Bronx, Hope Steven Garden in Manhattan, and Walt L. Shamel Community Garden in Brooklyn will be in attendance to discuss topics such as how to join a local garden, the longevity of stewardship, garden structure and identity, as well as the differing community resources these spaces offer. Gardeners will also reflect on how their personal experiences have shaped their gardening practices. 

The Community Gardener Portrait Project: New York City is presented by NYC Parks' Art & Antiquities division and GreenThumb.

Registration is Required


GreenThumb Workshops


More Workshops and Events

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A bountiful Red Shed Community Garden in Brooklyn in June 2023. Photo by GreenThumb 

Did you know this is the perfect time of the year to join a GreenThumb community garden?

New York City is home to over 550 unique public green spaces that are cared for by thousands of volunteer community members. Known as community gardens, these urban oases are hubs for growing fruits and vegetables, holding cultural and social events, preserving biodiversity, and appreciating the outdoors with neighbors and friends. Each and every community garden is all volunteer-led, self-governing, and represents the talents, creativity, and collaboration of the people who give their time to these important community resources. You can get involved by joining the garden as a member or volunteer. This usually includes caring for the garden, having a space to grow plants and food, and participating in garden events. 

The GreenThumb community gardening season runs from April 1 through October 31. During this time dedicated volunteers open the garden gates for a minimum of 20 hours per week. Ten of these hours are posted on the garden gate. Visit our website to find a community garden near you, information on each garden, and to find out how to get involved by joining the garden as a member or volunteer. We encourage you to stop by gardens during their open hours to inquire about membership.

To learn the basics of joining a community garden from longtime GreenThumb community gardeners, you can watch our How to Join a GreenThumb Community Garden webinars. For tips and wisdom on getting involved at a community garden from GreenThumb Community Engagement Coordinators and gardeners, read So, You Want to Join a Community Garden? on the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Plants & Gardens Blog by Nina Browne.

Grants & Opportunities


Resources & Grants for Artists

Looking for funding to bring art events and cultural programs to your community garden? Visit your local arts council to find out what grants they have available for local artists: Brooklyn Arts Council; Bronx Council on the Arts; Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance; Staten Island ArtsThe New York Foundation for the Arts currently administers the Queens Arts Fund, providing grants to artists and arts organizations within Queens.