The city will be looking to help residents refine their green thumbs in 2021 as registration for the second GP Grows home gardening kits opens on Wednesday.
The package will contain flower seeds, including Marigolds, a seed potato, beets, zucchini, pea seeds, and peat pellets.
Environmental Outreach Specialist Jessica Foley says the success of the 2020 GP Grows gardening kits was an unexpected bright spot during the very early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The program was advertised and we sold out in minutes and we made the quick decision to get more of those made up,” she says. We did that, and also had a huge uptake in that, so we are excited.”
Foley says some of the items in the kits will hopefully make the program more accessible, as some of the seeds included can be grown fully indoors for residents who don’t have a garden. She adds the program is also seemingly a nice reminder that winter is in the rearview mirror.
“It kind of gives you something to do while we are transitioning into those warmer months,” she says.
“You can get your garden planted inside, and then you can transplant it and grow your flowers and vegetables when it’s super warm out, usually after the May long weekend.”
Foley says there will be around 1,500 packages available. Free online registration kicks off at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 14th, and will stay open until April 28th or until supplies run out.