Congratulations 2016 GRO1000 Grassroots Grant Recipients!

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We’re helping people of all ages express themselves on their own piece of the Earth.

When people come together in a garden, or gather on a green space, something good happens: the world and their place in it becomes more amazing, more special, more powerful. With urban and economic development at an all-time high, we desperately need to protect and grow our collective connection to nature, to the environment and to each other.

» That’s what GRO1000™ is all about.

Starting in 2011 and through our 150th anniversary in 2018, ScottsMiracle-Gro® is supporting the creation of more than 1,000 community gardens and green spaces in the markets we serve. We’re finding neighborhoods in need of green spaces, schools in need of places to play, and communities in need of beautification and revitalization.

Wherever they are, ScottsMiracle-Gro and GRO1000 is, too.

To plant a garden is to believe in possibility.

We’re committed to strengthening and revitalizing communities.

Wherever gardens grow, hope grows too.

This is what transforming communities looks like.

790

The number of GRO1000 gardens, and counting

64,150+

Youth impacted through hands-on learning and experience with nature

1,629,748

Square feet of space restored and revitalized

9,305

Garden plots planted

266,000+

Pounds of produce donated annually

We planted the idea. They dug it.

Cultivating community gardens is a shared effort. Meet our partners.

Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

About

  • Nationally recognized horticultural and educational institution
  • Located in Columbus, Ohio
  • A long-time ScottsMiracle-Gro partner

Initiatives

  • ScottsMiracle-Gro is the lead sponsor of the Conservatory’s Growing to Green community gardening and city beautification program.
  • The Conservatory is home to the four-acre ScottsMiracle-Gro Community Garden Campus, which opened in 2009 as a national center for community gardening education and best practices.

“GRO1000 is making lasting and positive changes, echoing our mission of connecting communities and elevating quality of life.”
⎯Franklin Park Conservatory

KidsGardening.org

About

  • Provides plant-based education and gardening information
  • Reaches educators, youth and community organizations

Initiatives

  • Together, ScottsMiracle-Gro and NGA aim to foster an appreciation for gardening and the outdoors in young people.
  • ScottsMiracle-Gro is a proud supporter of kidsgardening.org, an NGA resource that shows teachers and parents can engage kids in gardening and the environment.

“Thanks to GRO1000, there’s a widening reach of gardening education and tremendous impact on communities across the country.”
⎯KidsGardening.org

Garden Writers Association Foundation – Plant A Row for the Hungry

About

  • Provides public education on gardening, horticulture and environmental issues
  • Launched Plant A Row in 1995 as a public service through the Garden Writers Associates Foundation
  • Encourages people to plant an extra row of produce and donate surplus crops to food banks, soup kitchens and service organizations

Initiatives

  • ScottsMiracle-Gro has been a lead sponsor of Plant A Row for more than a decade.
  • More than 2 million pounds of fresh produce was donated in 2011 alone to help feed America’s hungry.

"GRO1000 promotes self-reliance and healthy living through neighborhood, community and individual fruit and vegetable gardening." – Garden Writers Association Foundation/Plant A Row

U.S. Conference of Mayors

About

  • The official non-partisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more
  • Committed to act on issues such as hunger and homelessness and civic innovation

Initiatives

  • ScottsMiracle-Gro works with the USCM to help educate communities about water quality and conservation issues.
  • GRO1000 Showcase Grants are awarded to mayors for the installation of innovative edible gardens, public gardens and greenspace development in their communities.

GRO1000 brings the simple joy of green spaces to more places.

Here’s how we’re helping people, schools and communities turn their piece of the Earth into everything they imagine.

Outdoor Play

Gardens feed the natural curiosity of a child.

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GRO1000 brings much-needed green spaces to schoolyards and neighborhoods.

When children “unplug” and go outside to play, something amazing happens - their creativity, self-confidence and social skills are ignited. In nature, youth learn, practice, play, imagine and grow.

Urban Revitalization

Gardens make unexpected places flourish.

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GRO1000 transforms forgotten spaces into thriving gardens and green spaces.

Vacant lots and abandoned places can attract apathy, despair and crime. Fortunately, outdoor renewal invites something better: community-wide engagement, improved livability and neighborhood safety.

Nature Gardens

Gardens welcome all kinds of Earth-friendly neighbors.

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GRO1000 connects people to nature through the simple pleasure of the garden.

Joy is found in the garden, especially when pollinators are present. There’s a special beauty that comes from attracting and enjoying bees and butterflies. Plus, preserving native pollinators enhances learning and improves environmental stewardship.

Food Deserts

Gardens feed healthier lifestyles.

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GRO1000 enriches lives through edible gardens and public green spaces.

Garden fruits and vegetables are essential for better nutrition, while healthy eating and outdoor exercise help in the fight against obesity. That’s why improving access to both fresh-grown produce and outdoor spaces promotes more and better choices.

Global

Gardens turn the Earth into whatever you can imagine.

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GRO1000 is the green movement that helps garden-inspired dreams come true.

Everywhere around the world, gardens and green spaces have become the universal language of hope and renewal. From natural playgrounds, to refurbished fields, to urban agriculture zones, gardens have the power to make life better.

Seven years. Thousands of dirty hands.

Together, we’re transforming communities throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.

  • iGrow Whatever You Like Youth Farm, Tallahassee, Florida
    ♥ our 1-acre expansion. We’re engaging more youth in our community food system thanks to #GRO1000 and #MiracleGroOrganicSoil.
  • Gabriela Mistral Center for Early Childhood, Houston, Texas
    Thanks #GRO1000 for teaching our preschoolers about the natural world!
    #gardenexploration #handsonlearning #butterflygarden #vegetablegarden
  • Minneapolis – Project Sweetie Pie
    #GRO1000 helped rally the neighborhood and engage our entire community to #plant, #grow and #nurture a #youthgardening program.
  • INDEPENDENCE, OREGON – POLK COUNTY MASTER GARDENER'S INSPIRATION GARDEN
    Thank you #GRO1000 volunteers for transforming barren property into a beautiful #garden! #teamwork #transformation
  • FORT WORTH–FORT WORTH BOTANIC GARDEN'S CHILDREN'S GARDEN
    Thanks to #GRO1000, we're teaching more kids where food comes from. #youthgardening #nutrition
  • CLEVELAND – URBAN AGRICULTURE INNOVATION ZONE
    #GRO1000 revitalized a neglected lot into a community park that marks one of the largest urban ag. initiatives in the U.S. #urbanagriculture

Every year, GRO1000 makes a difference.

2016 Green Space Projects

2015 Green Space Projects

2014 Green Space Projects

2013 Green Space Projects

2012 Green Space Projects

2011 Green Space Projects

Our grant-making process.

We’re committed to strengthening and revitalizing communities.

Launched in 2011 by The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, GRO1000 is a community outreach initiative dedicated to bringing the benefits of gardens and green spaces to more neighborhoods, schools and communities—particularly to those in need.

Because we believe in the power of gardens and gardening to transform people and places, we’re committed to creating at least 1,000 community gardens and green spaces across America.

Apply for a Grant

Apply for a grant.

Explore. Discover. Create. Engage. Transform.
Gardens have the power, and here’s your chance to make it happen.

Grassroots Grant
Who’s Eligible:
501(c)(3) Organizations
Up to $1,500
for community gardens and green spaces
What It Is
Any non-profit organization that is helping to foster community spirit and public service is eligible to apply.

Grassroots Grants are awarded to local communities to help bring pollinator habitats, edible gardens and public green spaces to neighborhoods across the United States.
We are no longer accepting applications for the 2016 GRO1000 Grassroots Grants.
Please check back later this year for details on next year’s program.

Showcase Grants

Are you a city or municipality in need of green space improvement funding?

Start Here

Canadian Grants

Are you a community or a non-profit civic organization in need of green space improvement funding?

Start Here