The GROW Center, which stands for Green Resources & Outreach for Watersheds, is a program of the Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) that functions as a resource hub and connector with the goal of building community capacity to implement greening, stormwater management, waste reduction, and beautification projects. Through neighborhood pop-ups and community-based workshops, the GROW Center increases access to needed sources of free materials, including mulch, trees, and seeds, as well as educational workshops on topics such as composting, planting trees, organizing neighborhood projects, community cleanups, and gardening.

The GROW Center program would not be able to function without our many partners. Thank you to the Chesapeake Bay Trust, who has provided funding for the GROW Center pop-ups and workshops, and to TreeBaltimore and Camp Small for providing the trees and mulch we give away. Other partners include MD Cooperative Extension/Master Gardeners, Office of Sustainability, Office of Emergency Management, BMORE Beautiful, Department of Housing and Community Development, and the many communities where we have held pop-ups and workshops.

Spring 2025 GROW Center 

This past Spring was a fun and busy time for the GROW Center, with five pop-up events and six workshops held across the city. Workshop topics included home composting, rain barrel making, and vermicomposting. A huge THANK YOU to our pop-up and workshop hosts: 

• Baltimore Community ToolBank 
• Baltimore Compost Collective
• Bmore Garden Space
• Friends of Gwynns Falls Leakin Park
• Loch Raven Improvement Association
• Reservoir Hill Improvement Council
• TasteWiseKids
• The Urban Oasis
• The 6^th Branch

We would also like to thank our many partners – DPW Office of Waste Diversion, DPW Community Liaisons, DPW BMore LOVE, TreeBaltimore, CampSmall, Office of Sustainability, Department of Housing and Community Development, Health Department, Department of Transportation, BMore Beautiful, MD Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners, UMD Sea Grant Extension, Baltimore Greenspace, Friends of Herring Run Parks, and Baltimore Tree Trust  for providing resources that made our events successful. 

Over 400 people attended the Spring 2025 pop-ups and workshops. In-addition, the following free resources were provided: 

• 153 trees were given away 
• 5 truckloads of mulch were given away 
• 32 compost bins were given away 
• 15 rain barrels built and given away

Below are some photos from this past Spring 2025

Interested in what we have done so far? Check out the following  report: 

• Department of Public Works Impact Report Fall 2024

 If you have questions please contact Medina Caplis Tara by email here or at 443-934-7132.

GROW Center Resources

We know that not everyone can attend a GROW Center pop-up or workshop, so we have put together the following resources to help you access local, low cost and/or free materials + knowledge to complement in-person pop-ups and workshops. They are organized under two questions, “Where do I get…? (materials) and “How do I…? (instructions, videos, information).

Please click on the Tabs Below to Learn More

Where Do I Get…?

• Trees
• Plants and Seeds
• Mulch and Compost
• Coffee Chaff
  • Call Zeke’s Coffee Roastery: 443-992-4388
• Reclaimed Building Materials
  • Loading Dock
  •  Second Chance
  • Camp Small
  • Habitat for Humanity
• Tools
  •  Baltimore Community ToolBank
  •  Station North Tool Library

How Do I...?

• Start a Home Garden
  • Gardening 101
  • Container Gardening & Small Spaces
  • What Type of Plant is Best for My Garden?
  • Specific Fruit Help and Pollinators
  • Additional Tips & Tricks
•  Plant and Care for a Tree
  • TreeBaltimore​​​​​​
  • Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
  • Blue Water Baltimore
  • Fruit Trees
• Start Composting
  •  Institute for Local Self Reliance
  •  How to Compost Video
  •  Build Your Own Compost Bin
  • No space to compost on your property?:
    • DPW Food Scrap Drop-off Program 
    • Baltimore Compost Collective 
    • Compost Cab 
    • Compost Crew
    • Mom’s Grocery Store
• Build a Rain Barrel
  • Build Your Own Rain Barrel
  • Guide UMD Extension Video
  • Rain Barrels: Your Questions Answered
• Design, Install, and Maintain a Rain Garden
  • Introduction to Rain Gardens
  • A Rain Garden How-To
• Get Help to Create a Community Space
  • Bmore Beautiful
  • Start and Keep a Community Green Space
  • Neighborhood Design Center
•  Adopt a Vacant Lot?
  • Department of Housing and Community Development
  • Baltimore Green Space
  • Community Law Center
  • Green Pattern Online Resource
•  Start a Community Garden or Urban Farm
  • Baltimore Greenspace’s Resources
  • Tips for Creating the Perfect Community Garden
  • Urban Agriculture in Baltimore
  •  Urban Agriculture Guidebook
• Get Water for My Community Garden
  • Baltimore City Water Access Program
  • Signing Up for Water Access: How To
•  Get My Community More Involved
  • Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake
  • A Tip Sheet for Community Organizers
• Get Funding
  • Bmore Beautiful
  • Chesapeake Bay Trust
  • Baltimore Green Space Greening Grants
  • Maryland Environmental Trust

GROW Center New EV Cargo Van!

This Fall the GROW Center program unveiled its new van and logo! The van will allow DPW to better host pop-up events and workshops, giving the program more flexibility to serve communities throughout Baltimore. Plus, it is an EV van – part of the City’s efforts to have all of its fleet electric by 2030. Just another way that the GROW Center is helping Baltimore to be cleaner and greener!

A few photos from the GROW Center pop-ups and workshops!