In the Gardens

We returned to the gardens in March and have spent time weeding and prepping the beds for spring planting. We have also begun seed starting and garden planning for our community and school gardens.

Two UK students interns joined us this spring! You may spot Carly Cecil and Callie Dickman working at the North Pole or Bryan Avenue gardens. They have been busy working on community garden maps that will show what is growing in each garden and where it can be located in each garden.

In April, we are looking ahead to amending the soil with compost and doing some spring planting with the help of our interns. We will also be conducting soil testing.

COME VOLUNTEER WITH US! Our 2024 garden schedule is set and we are ready to welcome volunteers for another season. If you would like to join us, just click the button below to sign up for a slot that will work for your schedule. We are grateful for our volunteers and look forward to seeing old and, hopefully, new faces for another season.

Volunteer with Seedleaf

The beavers at Headwater have been hard at work this spring expanding their creekside wetland. Among the beneficiaries of their labor are the herons who live just overhead and feast between the creek and wetland. Groups of herons return to the same tree each year, so long as food remains abundant. Our “heronry” is host to at least 7–soon to be famous—birds.

More from the farm

Our 40’ shipping container has arrived!

This April, with help from our friends at Grow Appalachia, we’ll convert this container into a 20’ produce cooler and a much needed 20’ storage facility.

Market Gardeners have been busy preparing garden plots at the Community Farm and at Headwater.

HP talked sorghum, then planted and shared seeds with Fayette County’s 4-H Nature Club.

After Mary Mackin-Salazar of Paris, KY caught an episode of KET’s “Farmer and the Foodie” featuring Seedleaf, Mary was inspired to donate a host of native perennials including: “old fashioned” phlox (which bees sleep in at night), mountain mint, black eyed Susan’s, tickseed, magic lilies, spiderwort, and cut leaf coneflower—which grows 6’ tall. These plants will contribute to the planned pollinator buffers that will divide each market gardener’s plot at Headwater. Thanks Mary!!!

School programs

In March, Seedleaf spent time with elementary school students growing Golden Oyster mushrooms and observing the germination rates of green beans and squash seeds! Our young friends and Common Good's after school program also spent time at North Pole planting wild flowers and learning about changing seasons.

This April we look forward to getting more young people into gardens at Fayette County Schools and in Seedleaf growing spaces.

Seedleaf has partnered with Lex Grow Trees, a new initiative developed as a direct response to Fayette County residents’ concerns about our tree canopy. The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council allocated funding to take action – and Lex Grow Trees was established.

For more information or to get involved, click the button below.

Lex Grow Trees

If you would like to get involved in ways beyond volunteering in the gardens, Seedleaf accepts in-kind donations. Below is a list of current needs, ranked in order of importance.

1. Heavy Duty 100 ft Hoses (3x)

2. Oscillating Sprinklers

3. Garden Gloves

4. Large Plany Pots (20+ inches)

5. Pickup Truck, new or used in good condition

Support Seedleaf

Seedleaf also has an Amazon wishlist. Items can be purchased and then shipped straight to our office.

You can click the button below to be taken right to the items on our list.

Amazon Wishlist

Did you know that you can also link your Kroger card to an organization and each time you shop, points are earned for that organization. Those points turn into dollars donated to the organization you linked. We would be so grateful to be the organization you choose to link to your Kroger card.