Work with us
A garden that’s just right…
A garden is like water – it can (and should) fit the container you put it in. At Seeds to Smiles, we want to make it easier for you and your community to spend meaningful time outside. If that means you want a micro-farm on your campus for students to run that feeds your cafeteria, we can do that. And if you’d just like a little more shade, a spot to sit for folks to relax, and some flowers to attract wildlife, that’s also a garden that we would love to establish with you. We want your garden to fit seamlessly into your organization’s routines and culture so that it thrives for years to come.
when you work with us, you get:
On-Site Research and Evaluation: We want to take the time to get to know you, your organization’s culture, your existing outdoor areas, and all your hopes and dreams for interactive gardens. We’ll meet your key players, attend your events and committee meetings, and administer surveys in order to develop a garden design that best serves your community.
Garden Designs: For one or more garden spaces.
Garden Installation: When it’s time to break ground on your project, we’ll lead your community in building your new garden by hand. Getting your community members (students, patients, or employees) involved from the beginning is critical to the garden’s long-term success.
Garden Caretaker Training: After we identify key members of your community who can integrate the garden into their work, we’ll provide in-depth training on garden maintenance and ideas for garden activities.
why hire us
After serving in the public school system for two years with AmeriCorps, I learned that there are very limited avenues for a school to get a garden. In rare cases, they’re lucky enough to bring in a service member from FoodCorps or a similar AmeriCorps program, or they have the funding to hire their own school garden teaching position. Most commonly, it takes one very dedicated teacher or staff member to spearhead and champion the garden. They rely on their own expertise, sometimes use their own money, put in their own time that they don’t get compensated for, and advocate as best they can to get the rest of the school community onboard. When that champion leaves or retires, the garden often gets neglected.
At Seeds to Smiles, we take a different approach. We’ll meet you where you’re at, crafting a space that enriches your everyday routines while fitting in with your current reality. We spend time getting to know you and your organization, and we involve the folks you serve along the way. We believe that gardens belong everywhere, and that they play a crucial role in helping people connect with nature, especially those who don’t have access to parks or traditional wilderness areas. And we believe that it doesn’t matter what’s growing in your garden, just that it allows people to enjoy the outdoors.