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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untitled - Bees on sunflowers at the volunteer garden workday evening.

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Bees on sunflowers at the volunteer garden workday...

untitled - Milkweed pods, fluff and milkweed bugs in the pollinator garden this morning during our volunteer workday. Drop by to say hello to our gardeners and see them for yourself.

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Milkweed pods, fluff and milkweed bugs in the poll...

untitled - 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.

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

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

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

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What's Happening in the Garden?

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Collards in front of zucchini and tomatoes at this morning’s workday. #schoolgarden #volunteer #communitygarden #fallgarden #october

Collards in front of zucchini and tomatoes at this morning’s workday. #schoolgarden #volunteer #communitygarden #fallgarden #october ... See MoreSee Less

15 hours ago

Caprese pasta salad with sun golds and basil from the garden. #schoolgarden #growyourown #cooking #tomato #basil ... See MoreSee Less

15 hours ago

Tuesday evening
Garden workday cancelled
See you Saturday at 10!
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2 weeks ago

Comment on Facebook

Hi Folks. Just an update on this morning. Greater than 50% chance of rain starting at 10:00am. All we really need to do today is pick beans and do a bit more okra. Not going to cancel, but dress for getting wet. As soon as harvest is done we can head home.

Friday Garden Club and Saturday’s post-workday donation receipt. We have topped 500 pounds donated to AFAC this year, woohoo! ... See MoreSee Less

2 weeks ago
Yesterday, while eating watermelon we’d just picked, a 6th grader told me that Garden Club was the best part of middle school, and that was my best moment all week. 💕🍉

Yesterday, while eating watermelon we’d just picked, a 6th grader told me that Garden Club was the best part of middle school, and that was my best moment all week. 💕🍉 ... See MoreSee Less

2 weeks ago

Comment on Facebook

This. This was the best part of my work in Arlington- knowing that we made this kind of difference in people's lives. Thank you.

Wow. Thank you for sharing this. That heart-felt comment is a testament to what you are providing students and the community. I will post this to the Plot Against Hunger Facebook page.

It really makes a difference for the students!

Tuesday PM workday CANCELED
DUE TO RAIN
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3 weeks ago
A teeny tiny native bouquet, with obedient plant, black eyed Susan, NY iron weed, cup flower, blue mist flower and I think boneset. Next week we will have the Garden Club out harvesting seed heads to package for native seed giveaways. #schoolgarden #nativeplant #volunteer #communitygarden

A teeny tiny native bouquet, with obedient plant, black eyed Susan, NY iron weed, cup flower, blue mist flower and I think boneset. Next week we will have the Garden Club out harvesting seed heads to package for native seed giveaways. #schoolgarden #nativeplant #volunteer #communitygarden ... See MoreSee Less

3 weeks ago
We’ve moved our evening workday to Tuesday now that Garden Club has started on Fridays. Join us in the garden at 6PM to help us harvest our endless bounty of beans, as well as okra, peppers, and tomatoes!

We’ve moved our evening workday to Tuesday now that Garden Club has started on Fridays. Join us in the garden at 6PM to help us harvest our endless bounty of beans, as well as okra, peppers, and tomatoes! ... See MoreSee Less

4 weeks ago

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1 month ago
In addition to crows, we’ve got some really nice sunflowers going on this morning.

In addition to crows, we’ve got some really nice sunflowers going on this morning. ... See MoreSee Less

1 month ago
A murder (of crows) at the garden this morning. The other three flew away as I pulled out my phone to take the photo. The weather is deliciously cool, and we have lots of beans to harvest and lots of everything to fertilize, so join us for our volunteer workday this morning. We will be here until 11.

A murder (of crows) at the garden this morning. The other three flew away as I pulled out my phone to take the photo. The weather is deliciously cool, and we have lots of beans to harvest and lots of everything to fertilize, so join us for our volunteer workday this morning. We will be here until 11. ... See MoreSee Less

1 month ago
It feels like we went straight from “why are there only male butternut squash flowers” to “whoa, those are huge” in only four days. I must have missed these on Saturday, right? But there are SO MANY. How could I have missed them all when I was looking closely enough to tell the flowers were male? Either way, hooray! Butternut squash!

It feels like we went straight from “why are there only male butternut squash flowers” to “whoa, those are huge” in only four days. I must have missed these on Saturday, right? But there are SO MANY. How could I have missed them all when I was looking closely enough to tell the flowers were male? Either way, hooray! Butternut squash! ... See MoreSee Less

1 month ago
Volunteer workday tonight at 6:30-8. See you there!

Volunteer workday tonight at 6:30-8. See you there! ... See MoreSee Less

1 month ago
We are deep into bean season this week— join us in the garden from 9-11 Saturday morning to admire our bean tunnel, hunt for ripe blackberries, and take home some basil for pesto or pizza. #volunteer #communitygarden

We are deep into bean season this week— join us in the garden from 9-11 Saturday morning to admire our bean tunnel, hunt for ripe blackberries, and take home some basil for pesto or pizza. #volunteer #communitygarden ... See MoreSee Less

1 month ago

Ready to harvest at tonight’s pleasantly cool volunteer workday. ... See MoreSee Less

1 month ago

Comment on Facebook

Yay! A harvest it is!!

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 months 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

2 months 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

2 months ago

Comment on Facebook

Looks like yellow mosaic virus

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Join Us in the Garden

Workdays on Saturdays 10AM-noon

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