Tod Pod's Community Garden is a gathering space for Tod Pod families and the wider community, bringing people together with the common goal of growing plants.

Garden Location

Bloomington Covenant Church
102nd St and Xerxes Ave in Bloomington (the garden is located in the church's backyard, next to the playground, parallel to W 102nd St)

Garden FAQ

What is a community garden?

According to the American Community Gardening Association, community gardens are gardens that grow anything to benefit a community. This can include fruits, vegetables, or flowers; however, most communities focus on community gardens that grow food. These gardens are managed by members of the local community, and generally, the members will partake of the crops they help cultivate.

What is the purpose of Tod Pod's community garden?

We want to empower families to get outside and get their hands in the soil. The community garden allows us to support and guide caregivers in their quest to teach their kids about growing food (and eating it too!), inspiring them to bring these skills home to their own backyard garden.

What is growing there?

Check out our garden map! This year, our focus is on setting up and establishing the garden. The garden features a combination of plants like strawberries that need a few years to yield a bountiful harvest (teaching kids about the patience required with some plants) and fun veggies known for being good producers (so every kid has the chance to try freshly picked vegetables right off the vine).

What can I do at the garden?

See our Top 5 list above and check out our Garden Daily Tasks for ways to help when visiting the garden outside of meetup days.

When can I visit?

Visit anytime! Please reach out to garden@todpod.org if you would like a garden committee member to meet you at the garden and introduce you to the space...they are happy to do that. For harvesting plants (like tomatoes when they are ripe), we ask that you join us at a Weekly Garden Meetup.

Is there a place to sit?

There is a bench in the garden plus a picnic table for kids. There are also two garden kneelers in the adult storage bin; they can be used either as a raised seat or with the cushioned part of the ground for your knees. There are also smaller kneelers for kids in their storage bin. 

What if I know nothing about gardening?

No worries! Our garden is the perfect place to start learning. Our goal is to empower you to feel more confident. Visit during a Weekly Garden Meetup and learn what needs to be done and when...we are here to support you!

I have my own garden, why would I go to Tod Pod's?

Two reasons:

1. Tod Pod's garden is a place where kids can experiment and learn by making mistakes. (If you are a serious gardener at home, this can take the pressure off your own garden where you are putting in a lot of efforts aimed at success!)

2. The garden is a place of community connection...to meet and learn from other gardeners and learn new things like a new variety of your favorite vegetable that you haven't planted yet or tried-and-true ways to keep pests at bay.

Learn Something at the Garden?

Hooray! We invite you to share about it on social media, mentioning @tod_pod_playgroup and using the hashtags #todpodgrowshere and #communitygarden

Gallery: A Garden is Born!

On May 15, 2024, the Tod Pod Community Garden, as planned by Tod Pod's volunteer Garden Committee, was born. Thank you to everyone who was available and helped that day with digging, metal clipping, drilling, sawing, planting, watering and hauling, and HUGE THANKS to The Home Depot Foundation and its partners for materials, starter plants, and volunteer labor from The Home Depot in Bloomington. We are so excited to GROW HERE.

Tod Pod's Garden Committee

Tod Pod is a 100% volunteer effort led by parent and caregiver volunteers who, simply put, make things happen. They share a love of children and a deep commitment to the Bloomington community. Garden Committee members:

Savanaha Bennett, Dani Black, Nick Decker, Amelia Goding, Dani Indovino Cawley, Kelly Loeffler, Ryan Lokken, Dani Robertson, and Josey Stafford