Westchester resident Bethanny Alexander thought it would be fun to form a garden club and give back to the community. With the help of neighborhood friends, Grassroots Garden Group planted its first seeds in June of 2015. As more Westchester residents joined the group, more work was able to be accomplished around town, and what started out as the cleaning and beautification of a handful of community spaces has blossomed into an effort to support neighbors in need.

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In the fall of 2017, we ran out of places to plant our collection of tulip bulbs, so we bagged them, sold them to fellow residents, and donated the proceeds to the Westchester Food Pantry. This planted a new seed of partnership and encouraged us to discover new ways to beautify the community while raising funds for the pantry. To learn more about our annual events, please visit our Volunteer and Events pages.

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Beginning in 2023, Grassroots Garden Group took on the ambitious project to restore and rejuvenate the garden areas at Westchester’s gateway at Mannheim Road and 22nd Street.  Three gardens will each have a different focus.  The largest garden is being transformed into a native habitat for pollinators.  The middle garden with young oaks features woodland plants.  The third garden was a former Boy Scout’s project and will become the group’s reflection garden where visitors can sit in the garden and view the beauty surrounding them.  Additionally, in conjunction with the Village of Westchester, Grassroots Garden Group is working to transform the village fountain into a colorful (and rather massive) container garden.

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Grassroots Garden Group’s mission is to make our yards, our neighborhoods, and our community a more beautiful place to live.

 

Meetings are held on the last Monday of the month, February - October. In addition to planning food pantry fundraising events, we also host guest speakers, discuss various gardening topics, and hold special group events.

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Come join us and let’s bloom together!