Martin Luther King Jr. Day Garden Workday | January 19, 2026
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, participants gathered at Dew of Heaven Children’s Garden for a purposeful Garden Day rooted in service, teamwork, and stewardship of the land. The objective for the day was clear: prepare our garden beds for spring planting by removing dead and overgrown plants and clearing weeds, while reinforcing lessons about plant life cycles, soil health, and care for living systems.
Preparing the Garden for Spring
The day began outdoors, where I outlined the tasks on the board before work commenced. Participants moved bed by bed, pulling spent crops and weeds and placing all plant material into the compost bin. The physical work quickly became a highlight—especially when removing larger plants like mustard greens. Laughter and collaboration filled the garden as participants asked one another for help and marveled at the size, shape, and strength of the roots they uncovered.
Learning Which Plants Need More/Less Time
Along the way, we harvested several over-ripened turnips and snow peas, using the moment to discuss timing and harvest windows. These discoveries naturally led to deeper conversations about plant growth cycles. Participants learned that some plants, such as marigolds, require more than one season to mature—particularly when started from seed. For that reason, we intentionally left the marigolds in place to continue developing. The same care was taken with our herbs, including dill, which also needed additional time to grow.
Caring for the Garden as a Shared Space
As we worked through the beds and into the pathways, we paused to talk about garden neatness and the role of weeds—why they appear, how they compete with crops, and why managing them matters. The participants approached each task with excitement and determination, finding satisfaction in the physical effort and pride in completing each section of the garden together.
Maintaining the Worm Farm System
After wrapping up outside, we moved indoors to tend to the worm farm. During inspection, we discovered that the bottom drainage tray had become clogged with excess liquid—commonly referred to as compost tea. While compost tea is often a valuable byproduct in outdoor systems, our indoor worm farm requires careful moisture management to prevent attracting pests such as gnats.
Before cleaning the tray, participants shredded an entire cardboard box to prepare bedding for an additional, fifth tray. This added layer will help absorb excess moisture and reduce liquid buildup moving forward. The collected compost tea was poured directly into one of the garden beds, returning nutrients to the soil. Participants eagerly helped hose down the drainage tray, after which we reassembled the worm tower and fed the worms.
Service, Stewardship, and Community Values
With the garden beds restored, the worm farm renewed, and the day’s lessons fully embodied, we concluded our Martin Luther King Jr. Day Garden Workday with a deeper sense of purpose. Dr. King championed personal responsibility and collective effort, while also reminding us that true progress requires community-level cooperation and systems that allow all people to thrive. In the garden, participants practiced those values firsthand—working together, caring for shared resources, and learning that meaningful growth takes time, patience, and intentional action. At Dew of Heaven Children’s Garden, this work reflects our commitment to cultivating not only healthy soil, but empowered individuals who understand their role within a larger community and the responsibility we share in building a more just and sustainable future.
Learning Spotlight
Key concepts reinforced: teamwork, seasonal planning, soil stewardship, composting, systems thinking, and collective responsibility.
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