About Our Community

The Mission of Bronx Green-Up, the community gardening outreach program of The New York Botanical Garden, provides horticulture education, training and technical assistance to Bronx residents, community gardeners, urban farmers, local schools, and community organizations. The program is the visible presence of the Botanical Garden beyond the Garden’s gates, inspiring NYC residents to get involved in improving their communities through greening projects.

Our work is threefold: we are trainers in urban horticulture; partners on Bronx greening projects, most often in community gardens and urban farms; and a conduit for bringing people and resources together to bring these projects to fruition. We create and redevelop urban green space. We teach people of all ages how to care for urban land and grow food with limited resources. We partner with local individuals, groups, and institutions to further community gardening efforts.

Bronx Green-Up offers free horticulture certificate programs and workshops throughout the year, combining in-depth classroom instruction with hands-on practice in local community gardens. Those that participate in our programs give back to their communities, volunteering hours and/or creating their own projects. Our seasonal garden workshops take place throughout the Bronx, with community gardens and urban farms serving as outdoor classrooms. Bronx gardeners may request workshops on topics like seed starting, fruit tree care, composting, weed identification, and more.

Bronx Green-Up also hosts a number of annual events, such as the Harvest Fair, Crazy for Composting, Pumpkin Smash, The Seed Giveaway/Orchid Show Tour and Award Ceremony/Holiday Train Show. These engaging events bring community together to celebrate their bounty, share information, and learn from each other.

Bronx Green-Up is where the Bronx community goes to get involved in urban gardening. People approach us with their ideas—for gardens, for workshops, for projects—and we help to make them a reality.

Recent work includes:

• Karol’s Urban Community Farm, a 1.3-acre farm at Castle Hill Houses, is a partnership between Bronx Green-Up and NYCHA’s Farms and Gardens Programs.
• Bronx Community Farm Hubs Network: The Bronx Green-Up program coordinates the Bronx Community Farm Hub network, a partnership among over 18 community gardens and farms, alongside NYBG’s Edible Academy. These hubs collaborate within neighborhoods, sharing skills and resources to boost local production and distribution of fresh produce, ensuring greater access to healthy food for Bronx communities.

The Garden reached out to Terry Keller, who became the first director of Bronx Green-Up. She came to the Garden with a wealth of experience from Green Guerillas, the pioneer NYC community garden organization. Terry navigated city agencies and developed strategies to best utilize the Garden’s knowledge and horticulture resources to support the community efforts taking place.

Garden of Happiness on Prospect Avenue was the first Bronx Green-Up community garden, founded by the now renowned community garden activist (and NYBG Board Member) Karen Washington along with her neighbors. Ms. Washington went on to found La Familia Verde, a coalition of five Bronx gardens that has operated a farmers market for over 10 years, providing much-needed fresh fruit and vegetables to their West Farms/Crotona community.

As every gardener knows, nurturing and caring for gardens is hard work. Karen Washington reflects: “In the very beginning, the job of Bronx Green-Up (BGU) was to turn vacant lots into gardens. As more vacant lots began to disappear or turn into gardens, BGU had to change its strategy and look at how to make the gardens more sustainable—to not rely solely on BGU, but to network and look to other resources such as the community boards, schools, and community organizations.”

Bronx Green-Up has helped establish over 300 gardens, transforming the lives of residents across the borough. From young children to senior citizens, participants have gained hands-on experience in growing plants, flowers, and vegetables while deepening their connection to nature. Throughout the years, Bronx Green-Up has remained a dedicated partner, empowering community-driven efforts in gardening. The initiative proudly plays a vital role in advancing the borough’s greening, food security, and environmental health movements.