Grandmont-Rosedale Community Garden

The Grandmont Rosedale Community Garden was established in 2009 by residents and nearby friends of the Grandmont and Rosedale neighborhoods in northwest Detroit. Start up costs for raised beds, fencing, tool etc. were provided by grant funds that were received by the Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation. Additional grants and donations for infrastructure improvements were received as well. Over the years, a variety of volunteers (Detroit Project Day and others) have assisted with projects including replacing/adding raised beds and fencing.

Anyone who is interested and able to contribute to the work of maintaining the garden is invited to “join” us; There is no formal membership and no gardening experience is necessary.

This is a collaborative, community effort. Everyone shares in the work and everyone benefits from the harvest.

Costs/ Fees

The costs for maintaining the garden are relatively low. They include:

Membership in the Garden Resource Program-Seeds and Transplants

• Compost to add to the raised beds
• Property taxes for the land we garden on
• Miscellaneous: Tools, trash bags, etc

In a typical year the total costs may be $100-$200. Cash contributions and donations of goods from those who participate in the garden cover these costs.

Schedule

Garden work generally starts in late March or early April. The first garden work days are for a few hours on a Saturday morning. Beds are cleared and trash picked up. Plans for planting are made and some trellis/support structures for plants are installed.

Spring-Fall: Our usual garden gathering time is on Wednesdays at 6:00 pm, for one to two hours, depending on how many gardeners are able to come and how much work there is to do. In the first weeks of the season the work is planting and watering. During the summer we weed (a lot!), water the plants, clean up the lot, and harvest. We have also had occasional Saturday morning work days for those who are able to attend. This is important during the summer to water the plants when rain has been scarce and to harvest the always ripening produce. If you are interested in participating in the Grandmont Rosedale Community Garden, but your schedule does not allow you to join us on Wednesday evenings, please contact us. We may be adding a regular Saturday garden time to the schedule.

The Buzz

Last year one of our gardeners added a couple of bee hives to the lot where we garden. Bees are great pollinators – good for gardens. The hives are away from most of the plants, and if not bothered they mind their own business. No stings!

Gardening During Covid

The community garden was fully functioning throughout 2020 – during the pandemic. The space is large enough that gardeners were able to maintain a good distance between each other AND we all wore masks. This practice will continue for the 2024 garden season.

For more information, email us at [email protected]