BKYD Life

Gather. Create. Grow.

community

Gather. Create. Grow.

Gather. Create. Grow. 3 simple words. Each with multiple meanings. . .

People enjoying a dinner party in a backyard

You can gather supplies; gather items to use in the garden; gather meats and vegetables to cook on the grill; gather pool toys; gather chocolate bars, marshmallows and graham crackers for S’mores around the fire pit.

You can gather your thoughts in a meditation garden.

We can gather together in community.

Gather is a verb that means to bring together into one place. The most important word in that definition is ‘together’! Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” And, she was right.

Gather (together) seems so simple, yet so powerful.

Create a calm space.

Create art.

Create a place to play, to imagine, to use your imagination.

Create a place to gather, to make memories, to tell stories.

Create, another verb, is to do something creative or constructive. Constructive is doing something to improve or better the place or situation. So when we create, we are doing something to make things better.

Create happiness is the ultimate creative endeavor.

Plants grow bigger.

Children grow up.

Relationships grow deeper.

We grow through sharing our stories and we grow though understanding. The best way to grow is by listening to each other. Listen, not to respond, but to understand.

You may have guessed ~ grow is also a verb. It means to increase in size or substance.

“Love is the only flower that grows and blossoms without the aid of the seasons.” a quote by Khalil Gibran

Gather. Create. Grow. Right in your own backyard, without boundaries or fences to keep you from gathering with all your community, create a shared understanding, and grow together.

I would love to know how do you ~ Gather. Create. Grow. Share your backyard life in the comments below, sign up for our newsletter and connect with us on social media. Everyone can use some new ideas for all the things BKYD Life can do!

Backyard Gardening for Good: Sharing with the Community

Sharing is caring – something we used to tell our children to encourage the positive character trait. And it worked!

Did you know you can share the excess produce from your garden, call it a bumper crop, with the community? This sign pictured above was on one of my neighbors mailboxes and the basket was filled with lemons from a tree in their backyard. That is certainly one option for sharing. You could also include some produce you produce in care packages to family, friends and neighbors by leaving them on doorsteps at this time of quarantine.

If you want to make more of an impact, you can donate your extra produce to your local food bank. They always have a need for fresh foods, just check with them first.

Here in Phoenix, AZ, we have the oldest food bank in the country. St. Mary’s Food Bank is the original food bank. They have an interesting story of how it all started. Go to their website to read all about it.

Typically, homeowners in the area with citrus trees have more than enough for themselves, family and friends. St. Mary’s has a program to gather the excess fruit for distribution through their food boxes. If you are one such homeowner (well lucky you), a quick search of their website will guide you through the donation process.

Maybe you live in the Denver, CO area. Well, a quick search had me reading about a fantastic program there in the Centennial State. It is literally called Community Food Share, pretty easy to understand what they do with a name like that. They have a “Grow a Row” program for home gardeners to pledge home grown produce for those in need. If you don’t have room for a garden, they also encourage assistance with community gardens. This is a great opportunity to give back to the community by just giving your time.

My children might be grown, but I still believe that sharing is caring. During this time of staying home to flatten the curve, helping your community is so important and allows us the opportunity to know we have helped. Donating to your local food bank really helps those in need. There are so many options to donate, too. Contact your local food bank to see how you can help. I have just listed a couple food banks and options, but there are so many possibilities. Let us know how you have decided to help.