Corner Gardens
Since the 1970s, GRO's Corner Gardens have been transforming urban street corners into thriving green spaces that beautify the neighborhood while delivering vital ecosystem services. Our gardens help restore fragmented habitats for bees and butterflies, improve air and water quality, reduce flooding, and replenish degraded soil—contributing to a healthier, more balanced urban ecosystem.
We have roles waiting to be filled!
Assist someone with a corner garden
‘Adopt' your own corner garden
Volunteer at upcoming garden events (plant swaps, seed swaps, community clean ups, garden walk)
Join a leadership committee dedicated to sustainable gardening in the neighborhood
If you'd like to join your neighbors in making our little corner of the world more beautiful, please consider working with the sustainability committee. By blending ecological restoration with urban revitalization, our initiatives continue to prove that small green spaces can make a big difference for both people and nature.
Click the button below to tell us more about how you want to get involved.
In Honor of a Great Neighbor
B. Tersch
Thank you to the family of B. Tersch for contributing this information!
GRO would like to acknowledge the pioneering efforts and dedication of our late board member, B Tersch, who spearheaded our corner gardens initiative in the late 1970s. B’s involvement in GRO was just not a side project for her, it was her full-time job (without pay) because she loves this neighborhood! She wanted to contribute not just for her and her family, but for the community and generations to come. Besides leading the initiative to create corner gardens to beautify our community, she was key to cleaning up neighborhood graffiti, litter at parks and train stations, etc. She was quiet, carried a timid smile, but oh man, she was mighty! Until her health no longer allowed her to, she would wake up at 5-6 am to work on the corner gardens, Jacob Park, the riverbank, clear the drain gates after rain, walk with a can of paint to graffiti sites, etc. Her persistence and influence was unmatched as it resulted in lasting traditions in the neighborhood.
Well-Being Grows Here
Beyond their environmental impact, our corner gardens also nurture the well-being of residents.
Relieve Stress
Restore Mental Focus
Fostering Community Connections
Valuable Educational Opportunities
Become a Volunteer!
Volunteering in our committees is a 2-3 hour per month commitment. Please join us in making the neighborhood even better by volunteering with any sustainability project. In addition to the Corner Gardens, we also coordinate with city, county, and state government on local park and river clean up efforts.
Email us at grocornergardens@gmail.com to find out how you can help.
No time to volunteer? You can still help by becoming a member. Membership dues are the donations we need to keep doing what we do.