Summer is in full swing and the folks at Project Grow have been busier than ever preparing for and facilitating horticultural therapy activities.
Project Grow truly comes alive at Allies once the calendar turns over to April. Typically, this is when volunteers and staff will begin to prepare the gardens and raised beds so planting can begin. The weather had different plans for 2026, though.
Lots of heavy rain in April and early May set the Project Grow team back by a few weeks. Ever resourceful, they turned toward indoor tasks that would eventually need to be completed to make the most of the weather.
“This season has started out really crazy,” MaryAnne McMillan, HTR, manager of Allies’ Project Grow, said. “The weather has played an enormous factor.”
After the rain cleared up, heat became the biggest obstacle. The Project Grow team pushed forward, and the plants have been loving the weather in June and July.
Like previous years, Project Grow is set up all over the state. In Mercer County, the program is located at the Mercer County Community College. In Somerset county, the program has space at Duke Farms. Project Grow is also present at Allies Day Habilitation programs throughout the state.
One of the new additions for 2026 is the presence of raised garden beds behind the Allies main office building. These beds are tended to by Allies day habilitation participants who are taking part in community outings. Between visits, folks from the office help out and make sure the beds receive water each day.
The organizers of Project Grow make a point to focus on a different aspect of gardening each season. During previous years, the lessons have focused on companion plants and pollinators. This year, the main focus remains on pollinators. A secondary focus is safety in the heat and how people can protect themselves from things like ticks while they are working in the garden. To this end, each garden activity includes frequent water breaks and is punctuated with a check for ticks.
Elise Nietzche is an intern who is working with Project Grow this summer. Elise is majoring in Plant Science at Rutgers and has been a great asset to the work Project Grow is doing this year.
For Elise, getting to know those we support is part of the joy.
“I am very excited to grow with Project Grow,” Elise said. “Watching our individuals learn and get excited about horticultural therapy is so exciting.”
“Overall, people seem to be very disconnected from the food production process,” Elise said. “The more connected we are to where our food comes from, the healthier we will be.”
Last year, Project Grow donated more than 1,000 pounds of fresh produce and aims to top that number in 2026. The work done by Project Grow is generously supported by the Somerset Hills Garden Club.