We live in a great green city, thanks to the tireless work of
City employees and citizens who toil in the soil year-round! The city offers
the residents that grow our greenery an array of horticultural programs and services.
Assistance with community gardening:
The City’s Environmental Education Specialist is your point
person for questions about your community garden. For garden help and
materials, contact Stephanie Benway at Stephanie.Benway@cityofrochester.gov.
To apply for a community garden permit, visit https://www.cityofrochester.gov/gardenpermits.aspx.
Assistance with home gardening:
Cornell
Cooperative Extension Gardening Helpline
When plant, insect and wildlife problems happen in the
garden, who can home gardeners call? A team of trained Master Gardeners are
available to help identify the cause of your problem, or give an answer to your
question using Cornell’s experience and research knowledge.
You can reach the helpline by phone
- 585-753-2555, or email monroemg@cornell.edu
Hours: April-October: M-F 9AM-Noon, November- March: M, W, F 9AM-Noon
Get involved!
Urban
Agriculture Working Group (UAWG)
The UAWG’s mission is to strengthen Rochester NY’s urban
agriculture movement, develop community leaders, and collaboratively identify
and address policy, resource and educational barriers to urban agriculture and
community gardening of all kinds. They do this by making existing resources
easier to find and navigate, hosting programs and conferences to connect
gardeners with one another, offering opportunities for community leaders to
develop their skills, and by partnering with the City of Rochester to address
policy and resource barriers to urban growing.
Check out their website at https://rocurbangardens.org/ or email startdigging@rocurbangardens.org
Flower City Garden Workshops
Our Flower City garden workshops are designed specifically
for and tailored to our local gardeners and regional climate. Offering a wide range of workshops fitting
for experienced and beginner gardeners alike, we want to make gardening more
accessible to you! All workshops are open to the public and free of charge. Taught
by some of our most knowledgeable local gardeners, all workshops are currently
being held virtually, followed by a live Q & A.
Spring
Gardening Workshop
Our spring gardening workshop cover topics such as Soil
Health, Seed Starting, Companion Planting and more! Whether you will be
planting your first seeds or improving upon what you already know, this
workshop will help get you ready to get outside and get growing!
Fall
Gardening Workshop:
This event will cover everything a gardener needs to know to
prepare their garden for winter, including ways to extend the season, fall bulb
planting, and how to preserve your garden harvests!
Flower City Plant Giveaways
This
twice-annual program provides plants and other supplies to assist residents in
their part in a city-wide planting in parks and neighborhoods. Available only
for those who plant in public, shared spaces, we giveaway annual flowers and
vegetables in the spring and flowering bulbs in the fall.
To
participate contact Stephanie Benway at Stephanie.Benway@cityofrochester.gov.
Roc Kids Grow
Participants in the Roc Kids Grow Program receive
supplies to start their own container gardens at home! This program was piloted
for the first time in spring 2020 in an effort to increase access to the
resources needed for kids and families to get started growing food in small and
limiting spaces. In an enormous collaborative effort, one hundred reusable fabric
grow bags with soil, seeds and all the tools and accessories necessary to be
successful gardeners were delivered or distributed at the Rochester Public
Market. The program was designed for RCSD kids and families to learn and grow
together, with online planting and Q & A events throughout the growing
season to keep families engaged, inspired and growing successfully.
Roc Kids Grow
Partners
Connected Communities
Cornell Cooperative Extension 4-H, Monroe County
The Garden Factory
441 Ministries, Beechwood
EquiCenter
Southeast Area Coalition
#RocKidsGrow
Flower City Garden Contest
Cleaner,
Greener, More Beautiful!
Over the years, the efforts of hundreds of dedicated city
gardeners and their contributions to making our city greener, cleaner, and more
beautiful have been recognized through the Flower City Garden Contest. Any city
gardener may nominate his/her own garden or a neighbor’s garden.
Video of previous year’s winners
How to
Participate
To nominate a garden for consideration, simply complete this
entry form or email garden information to Stephanie Benway at Stephanie.Benway@cityofrochester.gov.
Categories for the 2019 Garden Contest
includes:
Best Container Garden
Best Educational Garden
Best Wildlife/Butterfly Habitat
Most Colorful Garden
Best Community Enhancement Garden
Best Urban Farm/Garden
View our Garden Contest Winners Photo Gallery here!
This
contest is a component of the annual Flower City Feeling Good series of
activities and events.
Contact
Department
of Recreation & Human Services
Stephanie Benway, Environmental Education Specialist Stephanie.Benway@CityofRochester.gov