Inspired by BBG’s ongoing, multifaceted Green Garden, Green City initiative, this year’s conference will lead community conversations regarding issues of urban ecology, wellness, stewardship, and the connections required of concerned citizens engaged in transforming lives and neighborhoods. In addition to workshops, panel discussions, breakout sessions, and more, this year’s Making Brooklyn Bloom will mark the conference’s return to the Palm House, where visitors are invited to network with dozens of NYC greening organizations. “It is impossible to have a just food system in the United States without massive land reform. The concentration of land ownership in the hands of a few creates communities that are intentionally disempowered and dependent on others to feed them. The massive losses in ownership of Black farmland over the past 100 years have relegated most African Americans to being consumers living in urban areas where others sell them second-rate foods and extract community wealth in the process.” Learn more about the workshops offered.Greening Together: People, Plants, Justice
Wilbur A. Levin Keynote Address
Race, Food, and Justice
Malik Yakini, Executive Director, Detroit Black Community Food Security Network
Workshops
Growing Food Justice with Youth
Auditorium
Sadatu Usman and Youth Interns, East New York Farms!
ENYFarms! has been successfully organizing youth and adults to advance food justice in East New York for 20 years. Learn how to promote local sustainable agriculture and community-led economic development in your neighborhood.
By Any Greens Necessary: Eating for Our Health*
Atrium
Malene Younglao, Brooklyn Urban Gardener
For young and old, growing your own healthful food is empowering and achievable, no matter how small or shady your urban space. Explore—and taste!—the best greens for growing and eating.
Planting an Urban Micro-Oasis*
Lily Pool Room
Margarita Poulson, BBG
Every urban gardener has a challenging spot of dry shade. Learn one gardener’s list of favorite plants to beat the heat in your little window box or street tree bed this season. Take home a plant to get started!
ReNewal in Your Hands: The Anti-Gentrification Workshop*
Members’ Room
Alexis Mena and Nick Savvides, ARTs East New York, BQLT, Brooklyn Urban Gardeners
Art and gardens can serve as powerful catalysts to fight profit-driven destabilization of our communities. Inspired by ARTs East New York, come unpack a toolkit for cultivating a resident-led vision of the future.
Gardens Rising: Community Gardens and Climate Change*
Room 123
Aziz Dehkan, New York City Community Garden Coalition
Community gardens rarely get the credit they deserve for helping cities handle extreme weather. Learn about the latest studies on gardeners’ roles in growing a more climate-resilient city.
Seed Saving: Stories of Liberation*
Room 125
Chris Bolden Newsome, Sankofa Farm at Bartram’s Garden; Owen Taylor, Truelove Seeds
Keeping the seeds and seed stories of our ancestors is essential to preserving our past and safeguarding our future freedom. Explore the rich stories of heirloom seed crops, and dig into the science and practice of collecting and storing seed using common kitchen items.
Intergenerational Block Greening
Room 236
Jane Wright and River Fields, 400 Bainbridge Street Block Association
How can you and your neighbors make the most of your block’s age diversity? Learn how one remarkable Brooklyn block uses gardening to bridge the generation gap.
Facing Our Lead Legacy*
Library
Zhongqi (Joshua) Cheng and Sara Perl Egendorf, Brooklyn College
When it comes to our inheritance of urban soil contamination, knowledge is power. Hear the latest findings from research in urban gardens, and learn the best strategies for limiting risks and nurturing healthier soil.
Plantas Caseras Facil de Cuidar*
GreenHouse 1
Eusebia Milanes, Brooklyn Urban Gardener
Una variedad de bellas y alegres plantas de bajo mantenimiento es todo lo que necesita para disfrutar los beneficios en la limpieza del aire interior en su casa y en la relajación mental. This workshop is offered in English in the afternoon.
Radical Worm Composting at Home*
Greenhouse 2
Claudia Navas and Teddy Tedesco, NYC Compost Project Hosted by BBG
Compost happens—even in your tiny apartment! Learn how to harness the power of red worms to convert your kitchen scraps into black gold, no matter where you live.
Tour the Tropical Pavilion
Steinhardt Conservatory, lower level
BBG Garden Guides
The Tropical House—6,000 square feet under a 65-foot-tall ceiling—re-creates a tropical forest, complete with waterfalls and streams. Discover the many food plants that thrive here.
* Hands-on or interactive workshops
Wildlife in the City
Auditorium
Bobby and Cathy Horvath, Wildlife in Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation (WINORR)
Nature is all around us! Learn about and see up close the animals returning to the city, and those that never left, from animal rescuers with 25 years of experience supporting NYC’s wildlife.
By Any Greens Necessary: Eating for Our Health*
Atrium
Malene Younglao, Brooklyn Urban Gardener
For young and old, growing your own healthful food is empowering and achievable, no matter how small or shady your urban space. Explore—and taste!—the best greens for growing and eating.
Planting an Urban Micro-Oasis*
Lily Pool Room
Margarita Poulson, BBG
Every urban gardener has a challenging spot of dry shade. Learn one gardener’s list of favorite plants to beat the heat in your little window box or street tree bed this season. Take home a plant to get started!
ReNewal in Your Hands: The Anti-Gentrification Workshop*
Members’ Room
Alexis Mena and Nick Savvides, ARTs East New York, BQLT, Brooklyn Urban Gardeners
Art and gardens can serve as powerful catalysts to fight profit-driven destabilization of our communities. Inspired by ARTs East New York, come unpack a toolkit for cultivating a resident-led vision of the future.
Gardens Rising: Community Gardens and Climate Change*
Room 123
Aziz Dehkan, New York City Community Garden Coalition
Community gardens rarely get the credit they deserve for helping cities handle extreme weather. Learn about the latest studies on gardeners’ roles in growing a more climate-resilient city.
Seed Starting: Stories of Liberation*
Room 125
Chris Bolden Newsome, Sankofa Farm at Bartram’s Garden; Owen Taylor, Truelove Seeds
Starting heirloom fruits and vegetables from seed saves money, promotes biodiversity, and safeguards our cultural legacies. You’ll start your own seeds (and stories) today.
Intergenerational Block Greening
Room 236
Jane Wright and River Fields, 400 Bainbridge Street Block Association
How can you and your neighbors make the most of your block’s age diversity? Learn how one remarkable Brooklyn block uses gardening to bridge the generation gap.
Facing Our Lead Legacy*
Library
Zhongqi (Joshua) Cheng and Sara Perl Egendorf, Brooklyn College
When it comes to our inheritance of urban soil contamination, knowledge is power. Hear the latest findings from research in urban gardens and learn the best strategies for limiting risks and growing healthier soils.
Easy-Care Houseplants*
GreenHouse 1
Eusebia Milanes, Brooklyn Urban Gardener
A no-nonsense palette of happy, beautiful, and low-maintenance plants is all you need to reap the benefits of houseplants in cleaning indoor air and soothing your mind. Este taller será ofrecido en español por la mañana.
Radical Worm Composting at Home*
Greenhouse 2
Claudia Navas and Teddy Tedesco, NYC Compost Project Hosted by BBG
Compost happens—even in your tiny apartment! Learn how to harness the power of red worms to convert your kitchen scraps into black gold, no matter where you live.
Tour the Aquatic House
Steinhardt Conservatory, upper level
Sabrina Lee, BBG Garden Guide
The Aquatic House is home to BBG’s large orchid collection as well as a variety of amazing (even carnivorous!) tropical and subtropical aquatic and wet-environment plants from around the world. This tour is 30 minutes.
* Hands-on or interactive workshops
Schedule
- 10–11 a.m.
Registration and coffee in the Palm House
Register the day of the event to secure space for workshops and the keynote address.- 11 a.m.–Noon
-
Morning Workshops
The final schedule will be listed at registration. You may choose one morning and one afternoon workshop, space permitting. Arrive early to get your first choices.
- Growing Food Justice with Youth
- Planting an Urban Micro-Oasis
- Intergenerational Block Greening
- Plantas Caseras Facil de Cuidar
- Radical Worm Composting at Home
- Tour the Tropical House
- ReNewal in Your Hands: The Anti-Gentrification Workshop
- Facing Our Lead Legacy
- Gardens Rising: Community Gardens and Climate Change
- Seed Saving: Stories of Liberation
- By Any Greens Necessary: Eating for Our Health
- Noon–1:30 p.m.
-
Snacks and boxed lunches are available for purchase at BBG’s Yellow Magnolia Canteen (Visitor Center).
Bring Your Lunch Breakout Sessions
Bring a bag lunch to join the conversation and the action:- Compost Questions
- Horticultural Therapy
- Street Tree Stewardship
- School and Youth Gardening
- Environmental Justice
- Fundraising for Greening
Activities
- Check out the Library (Rotunda).
- Pick up free veggie starts and seeds (Rotunda).
- Join a guided walking tour of BBG’s seasonal highlights (1–2 p.m.).
- Bring your questions to “Ask the Gardener” (Rotunda).
- 1:30–2:45 p.m.
-
Wilbur A. Levin Keynote Address
in the Auditorium
“Race, Food, and Justice,” presented by Malik Yakini, executive director, Detroit Black Community Food Security Network - 3–4 p.m.
-
Afternoon Workshops
The final schedule will be listed at registration. You may choose one morning and one afternoon workshop, space permitting. Arrive early to get your first choices.
- Wildlife in the City
- Planting an Urban Micro-Oasis
- Intergenerational Block Greening
- Easy-Care Houseplants
- Radical Worm Composting at Home
- Tour the Aquatic House
- ReNewal in Your Hands: The Anti-Gentrification Workshop
- Facing Our Lead Legacy
- Gardens Rising: Community Gardens and Climate Change
- Seed Starting: Stories of Liberation
- By Any Greens Necessary: Eating for Our Health
- 4 p.m.
-
Pick up a spring gift bag as you leave!
Questions? Contact [email protected].
Support
Brooklyn Botanic Garden gratefully acknowledges support for this program from Brooklyn Community Foundation, National Grid, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the NYS Assembly and NYS Senate, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo, Councilmember Mathieu Eugene, and the NYC Council.
Leadership Support, Community Greening Programs
Major Sponsor, Community Greening Programs
Making Brooklyn Bloom is part of Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Green Garden, Green City initiative.
Sponsor, Green Garden, Green City
