Dirt, Roots, and Community: Chagigah Shel Gina Planting Workshop Success

by emoorheadwallace

Last Sunday, 60+ community members showed up, dug in, and got their hands dirty — and we couldn’t be more grateful. Together we planted over 70 plants and moved what felt like an entire mountain of mulch and gravel into the garden. Not bad for an afternoon’s work!

A huge thank you to the Harris/Pike family for keeping the work stations humming, Tootsie Jablonski and David Dalton for making plant science genuinely fascinating, and Tara Bain with UTK Hillel for bringing serious energy. Knoxville–Oak Ridge Hadassah ran a wonderful plant swap, guests sampled Jewish heritage recipes inspired by the garden, and Potchke Bagel made sure no one went hungry.

Here are some highlights, but you can also find more photos from the event here.

The “Garden” is just the beginning!

We’re still raising funds for plants, natural play elements, and the swing sculpture that will anchor this space. Every contribution goes straight to materials, educational programming, and keeping this garden free and open to all.

Here is what your money supports:

To donate, head to the KJA website, select “Make a Donation to KJA”, and choose “Gardens of Celebration.” And if you haven’t visited yet, come see what we’re building — we think you’ll love it.

6800 Deane Hill Dr, Knoxville, TN 37919