Growing Together: Partners Come Together for Garden & Gather Day at Barcroft Apartments

On a sun-soaked Thursday morning in late May, more than 40 volunteers from Jair Lynch Real Estate Partners, Bozzuto Construction, VIKA, Gates Hudson, and Flooring Partners LLC gathered at Barcroft for the first-ever Garden & Gather Day, a morning dedicated to adding small touches to outdoor areas residents can enjoy for years to come.

What took root

Working across four distinct areas of the community, volunteers constructed six raised garden beds available for residents to grow their own vegetables and fruits, planted pollinating perennials throughout common areas to support local ecosystems, established a small hillside orchard with apple and pear trees, and transformed an open stretch between buildings into a mini soccer pitch complete with goals and a lined field.

Each of these spaces was designed with residents in mind — places to gather, to grow, and to connect with neighbors.

“We’re truly grateful for the amazing partners and partnerships that made today possible. With contributions and helping hands from Gates Hudson, Bozzuto Construction, VIKA, and Flooring Partners, we spent the morning turning relatively unused areas into spaces residents can engage with and enjoy,” said Alice Hagemann, Senior Development Manager at Jair Lynch Real Estate Partners.

A Tradition Worth Carrying On

For Jeffery Johnson, a Barcroft resident of 18 years and a Certified Master Gardener, the day felt personal. Over the years, Johnson has planted dozens of trees in and around his home. Watching the volunteers work, he saw something familiar.

“What they are doing today is they are carrying on my tradition of plantings,” he said.

By the end of the morning, what had started as a few underutilized spaces looked noticeably different. New gardens were ready for planting, young fruit trees were in the ground, pollinator-friendly perennials had been added near the raised beds, and a new informal recreational space had taken shape. While the projects themselves were modest, they reflected a shared commitment among our partners to continue investing in Barcroft’s future—one project, and one planting, at a time.