Growing Hope
Master Gardener Lynn Blanton Working in the WARM Garden
What began as a small garden has blossomed into the thriving WARM Garden—a place where compassion, community, and fresh food come together. Thanks to donors and grant partners, seeds planted years ago are now producing a harvest that nourishes both bodies and spirits.
Soon after WARM moved to its current location in 2014, long-time volunteer Janice Edey and a friend started a modest garden that produced tomatoes and lettuce for neighbors in need. For a time, Janice cared for the garden largely on her own until additional volunteers joined her, including OSU Extension Master Gardener Sue Simon. With energy and vision, Sue helped grow the program by making the WARM garden a Master Gardener Countywide Project, bringing new expertise and volunteers.
In 2019, OSU Master Gardener Lynn Blanton discovered WARM and began volunteering. Two years later, he and Janice expanded the garden beds up the hill, working alongside local Boy Scouts who helped with the heavy lifting. Together, they transformed the space into the flourishing garden it is today.
What started as a small garden is now a powerful source of fresh, healthy food for neighbors in need—made possible by the generosity of our community.
Today, under Lynn’s leadership, the garden is supported by Janice, a team of 10–12 Master Gardeners, additional volunteers, and strong community partnerships. Your generosity makes their work possible.
The impact has been extraordinary. In the early days, the garden produced about 300 pounds of produce. Last summer, the harvest reached 1,460 pounds of organic fruits and vegetables—all grown right at WARM and placed directly into client bags for families to take home.
Because the food is grown on-site, it moves straight from garden beds to neighbors’ tables—fresh, healthy, and provided at no cost.
The garden continues to grow. Plans include a columnar apple orchard, two sour cherry bushes, Ohio native plant beds, and innovative techniques like hydroponic towers, GardenSoxx, soil improvements and plants to encourage pollinators.
The garden is also a place for learning. Lynn teaches community gardening classes at WARM, where he shares both practical tips and a sense of wonder about the natural world. One of his lessons centers on the equation for photosynthesis—what he calls “the most important sentence in the world”—because plants provide the food and oxygen that sustain life on Earth.
While waiting for spring soil temperatures to reach planting level, the gardening team is already busy starting seeds at home, pruning fruit trees, and preparing beds for the coming season.
With year-round care from volunteers and the continued generosity of donors, the WARM Garden has become a living treasure for the Westerville community—growing nourishment, knowledge, and hope.
If this garden inspires you, we invite you to be part of the next harvest. Your support helps provide seeds, tools, soil, and resources that allow this garden—and the neighbors it serves—to continue thriving. Together, we can keep growing something truly miraculous.