Grace Giving Garden

Contact us to learn how you can help.
 
What is the GGG?  The Grace Giving Garden serves to "grow and share God's bounty in fellowship and learning with people of all ages." Over the last ten years, we’ve expanded from a “one-bed Wee Weeders” church garden to a multi-bed creation care and teaching garden for the entire community of Waynesville. The GGG is ever changing. Currently we have an herb garden, fruit trees and blueberry bushes, pollinator beds for bees and butterflies (especially Monarchs), and various native and other perennial flowers and ornamental shrubs interspersed among 6 raised beds, one high raised bed for gardeners with mobility challenges, and a field bed for larger summer vegetable production to serve the church Food Pantry. Our harvests regularly include beans, collards and other greens, okra, sweet potatoes and even flowers.
 
Covering most of the area behind Grace Church, the GGG hardscape also includes a large garden shed, two picnic tables, and a teaching amphitheater built by Tuscola High School masonry students. We are proud of our drip irrigation system, which is fed by a 1,000-gallon rainwater cistern (donated by the Soil & Water Conservation District and installed with their help and the help of Haywood Waterways volunteers).
 
Who gardens in the GGG?  People from Grace Church and all over our community plant, maintain, and harvest vegetables that they and our food pantry guests enjoy. Each weekday from late Spring through the Fall, between 10-11:00 a.m. volunteers help food pantry guests pick organic produce. Extra produce is also harvested by volunteers and driven to Meals on Wheels of Haywood County.
 
How do we do what we do? The garden operates within a church budget and from grants and donations made by the Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Association (Haywood County) and the Mountain View Garden Club. We also offer beds for community groups, such as Big Brother Big Sisters of Haywood who currently maintain a raised bed for their use. There is always space available for community groups and individuals to adopt.  As well as a community and food pantry garden, the GGG is also a teaching garden. We offer hands-on lessons for Pigeon Multicultural Community Development Center summer campers and Meridian Behavioral Health children. Activities cover beginning gardening and earth stewardship topics and skills. Teen volunteers from Asheville Youth Ministry also work with kids while learning sustainable gardening practices.  Anyone can join us (usually in the mornings and usually on weekdays) and GGG “regulars” are always willing to teach beginners. Come meet us and learn more on any third Saturday of the month when we hold our in-garden “workdays.”
 
Why do we do it?  As noted above, the GGG has a mission to share God’s bounty.  This includes growing all manner of food and decorative plants, teaching others to garden, and most importantly, being good stewards of God’s creation learning how to care for the earth and its gifts to all. It’s our wish that people not lose touch with the earth, that they grow up loving and respecting all aspects of nature, and understanding that God’s gifts to us are precious. Isn’t it our responsibility to preserve and protect the earth so it can continue to sustain all life? We think so. That’s one reason we are developing our Creation Care ministry by attending conferences and local Climate Crisis group meetings and hosting a variety of environmental stewardship activities, teachings, films (such as The Biggest Little Farm), and related talks and activities. More information about our Creation Care efforts will be posted elsewhere on this website.
 
Where are we? Grace Giving Garden is located behind Grace Church in the Mountains (394 N. Haywood Street), and easy entrance is via a driveway off of Miller Street. We recently erected an in-garden sign that incorporates our newly designed logo. You'll find the sign—and the entrance to our garden—by the stone walk at the top of the parking lot.
 
Contact us to learn how you can help.

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