The TJMS Community Garden 2025 Season is Under Way.

The TJMS Community Garden has been a Plot Against Hunger participant for over a decade, donating produce to AFAC and other local food pantries. The Jefferson Community Garden is the largest school garden in Arlington, and we are taking our community responsibilities seriously. But more than that, we are working to become a hub for joyful community and learning. Have you ever thought of starting your own garden, but you feel a little overwhelmed? Volunteering with our experienced gardeners is a great way to learn more about starting a garden, managing pests and diseases, and how to plan for seasonal harvests. A sunny Saturday morning in the garden is a great family activity, and it's the perfect place to meet friends to socialize while volunteering and getting a bit of fresh air and exercise.

Bring Friends or Family and Join Us in the Garden:

We would love you to join us in the garden. We have regular garden workdays every week from 10 AM to noon Saturday mornings. Not quite ready to start gardening today? Sign up for our newsletter and we'll send you weekly updates about our workday plans, and pictures of what we're doing in the garden.

Stay tuned to our Facebook page for late-breaking schedule updates and weather cancellations.

Garden videos:

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We are planning a hugelkultur mound, and collecting pieces of wood and mulch to get it started. When we think our strawberries after they’re done producing for the year, we will transplant some over to a mound. The. Next year we can compare how they do along the bank of the dry riverbed, in the raised bed, and on a mound.

We are planning a hugelkultur mound, and collectin...

A tour of our sugar snap peas and strawberries, our favorite garden snacks in May.

A tour of our sugar snap peas and strawberries, ou...

A tour of our dry riverbed and surrounding plantings, one way we mange moisture in the garden.

A tour of our dry riverbed and surrounding plantin...

Our native asters and goldenrod. A veritable 🐝 bee hive of activity. #schoolgarden #pollinators #nativeflowers #earlyfall

Our native asters and goldenrod. A veritable 🐝 ...

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What's Happening in the Garden?

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Thanks to Master Naturalists Marj and Rita for the great pollinator garden tour! (It may be hot at the fair, but it’s lovely and cool under the magnolia trees next to the pollinator garden.)

Thanks to Master Naturalists Marj and Rita for the great pollinator garden tour! (It may be hot at the fair, but it’s lovely and cool under the magnolia trees next to the pollinator garden.) ... See MoreSee Less

2 days ago
Enjoy this beautiful sunflower, and a vacation day from garden workdays (no workday Wednesday evening this week). We will be back in the garden on Saturday 9-11 AM.

Enjoy this beautiful sunflower, and a vacation day from garden workdays (no workday Wednesday evening this week). We will be back in the garden on Saturday 9-11 AM. ... See MoreSee Less

6 days ago
The only squash that survived the vine borers is this unusual yellow and green variety that came out of a yellow crookneck seed packet. If we let it get to the size of a large crookneck, it has seeds that are too woody to use, but we did a test pick today of a younger smaller squash, and it was deliciously sweet (even raw) and the seeds weren’t objectionable. Whew! It will be usable after all.

The only squash that survived the vine borers is this unusual yellow and green variety that came out of a yellow crookneck seed packet. If we let it get to the size of a large crookneck, it has seeds that are too woody to use, but we did a test pick today of a younger smaller squash, and it was deliciously sweet (even raw) and the seeds weren’t objectionable. Whew! It will be usable after all. ... See MoreSee Less

1 week ago

Comment on Facebook

Looks like yellow mosaic virus

The first gorgeous deep blue butterfly pea blossoms of the year.

The first gorgeous deep blue butterfly pea blossoms of the year. ... See MoreSee Less

1 week ago
In addition to our Saturday 9-11 workday, we will hold a Monday 6:30-8pm work session to get the garden ready for the county fair.

In addition to our Saturday 9-11 workday, we will hold a Monday 6:30-8pm work session to get the garden ready for the county fair. ... See MoreSee Less

1 week ago
Thanks to our Wednesday evening volunteers, who helped us install these cattle panels to act as a cucumber trellis. We harvested our first cuke of the season, along with some tomatoes and shoestring beans.

Thanks to our Wednesday evening volunteers, who helped us install these cattle panels to act as a cucumber trellis. We harvested our first cuke of the season, along with some tomatoes and shoestring beans. ... See MoreSee Less

1 week ago
Good morning! Look at this gorgeous sunflower, our first of the season. Nothing like a little garden “sunshine” to cheer you up first thing in the morning. 💕🌻 See you in the garden Saturday at 9!

Good morning! Look at this gorgeous sunflower, our first of the season. Nothing like a little garden “sunshine” to cheer you up first thing in the morning. 💕🌻 See you in the garden Saturday at 9! ... See MoreSee Less

1 week ago

Come visit the pollinator garden to see all of our blooming native plants. Cupflower, ironweed, mountain mint, asters, Joe Pye weed, and more. Thanks to Master Naturalist Marj Signer and the rest of ARMN for all their support in keeping it thriving and beautiful. ... See MoreSee Less

2 weeks ago

Comment on Facebook

Thanks, too, to volunteers Rita Wiggins and Debbie Hill for helping out regularly this summer!

Our bean “tunnel” is starting to take shape. These are mostly Kentucky Wonder, with a few shoestring beans interspersed. Have you ever seen a shoestring bean? They look just like you’d imagine from the name, 2+’ long! Join us in the garden this evening (Wednesday at 7) to see them in person and help harvest them to donate to @afacfeeds. There might even be a few butterfly pea sprouts in the row— if you’ve ever gotten a bright blue tea or latte, you’ve probably had butterfly pea flowers. Nutrition powerhouse AND strikingly beautiful.

Our bean “tunnel” is starting to take shape. These are mostly Kentucky Wonder, with a few shoestring beans interspersed. Have you ever seen a shoestring bean? They look just like you’d imagine from the name, 2+’ long! Join us in the garden this evening (Wednesday at 7) to see them in person and help harvest them to donate to @afacfeeds. There might even be a few butterfly pea sprouts in the row— if you’ve ever gotten a bright blue tea or latte, you’ve probably had butterfly pea flowers. Nutrition powerhouse AND strikingly beautiful. ... See MoreSee Less

2 weeks ago

Habanero peppers, ever-taller corn, black eyed Susan’s, and zinnias. ❤️ August is when the garden really starts to take off! We are already starting to prep the garden for County Fair visitors. If you can’t make it to one of our workdays, pop over to take a peek while you’re at the county fair. Stay tuned for times when there will be volunteers in the garden to show you around, or just peek over the fence and see how everything is growing. ... See MoreSee Less

2 weeks ago
Remember when the squash vine borers took out of first two attempts at growing zucchini and summer squash? We direct-seeded borer-resistant butternut squash, and they’ve reached the point where they’re starting to create trailing vines. Triumph! (Now we just have to keep an eye out for squirrels! No rest for the wicked. Or for gardeners, if we want to stay ahead of garden pests…)

Remember when the squash vine borers took out of first two attempts at growing zucchini and summer squash? We direct-seeded borer-resistant butternut squash, and they’ve reached the point where they’re starting to create trailing vines. Triumph! (Now we just have to keep an eye out for squirrels! No rest for the wicked. Or for gardeners, if we want to stay ahead of garden pests…) ... See MoreSee Less

2 weeks ago
Join us for our weekday evening workday tomorrow, Wednesday August 6, from 7-8:30pm.

Join us for our weekday evening workday tomorrow, Wednesday August 6, from 7-8:30pm. ... See MoreSee Less

2 weeks ago
Join us in the garden Saturday from 9-11 for our weekend volunteer workday.

Join us in the garden Saturday from 9-11 for our weekend volunteer workday. ... See MoreSee Less

2 weeks ago

Thanks to our Wednesday evening volunteers, who helped protect our pumpkin and watermelon from rogue squirrels, hand-pollinated the corn, and harvested beans, eggplants, and tomatoes. ... See MoreSee Less

2 weeks ago

Don’t forget:
NO workday on Saturday.
See you Sunday 9-11AM instead.
... See MoreSee Less

3 weeks ago
We are working around coordinator availability this week, so we won’t have a volunteer workday on Wednesday, and our usual Saturday workday has been shifted to SUNDAY 9-11. See you at the TJMS Community Garden Sunday morning!

We are working around coordinator availability this week, so we won’t have a volunteer workday on Wednesday, and our usual Saturday workday has been shifted to SUNDAY 9-11. See you at the TJMS Community Garden Sunday morning! ... See MoreSee Less

4 weeks ago

NO SATURDAY WORKDAY
SEE YOU IN THE GARDEN
ON SUNDAY 9-11
... See MoreSee Less

4 weeks ago

NO WORKDAY
WEDNESDAY NIGHT
... See MoreSee Less

4 weeks ago
Beautiful eggplant from this morning’s garden workday. Thanks to the volunteers who helped us weed, plant some bush beans, tie up pole beans, harvest, and fertilize. Fingers crossed that the weather holds up for us to harvest again on Wednesday evening at 7pm.

Beautiful eggplant from this morning’s garden workday. Thanks to the volunteers who helped us weed, plant some bush beans, tie up pole beans, harvest, and fertilize. Fingers crossed that the weather holds up for us to harvest again on Wednesday evening at 7pm. ... See MoreSee Less

4 weeks ago
We will be working in the garden 9-11 tomorrow. Join us! #volunteerworkday

We will be working in the garden 9-11 tomorrow. Join us! #volunteerworkday ... See MoreSee Less

1 month ago
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Join Us in the Garden

Workdays on Saturdays 10AM-noon

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