Growing a Movement
GFLP Is Putting More Native Plants Back Into
Our Community
This holiday season, the Gardening for Life Project (GFLP) is continuing our mission to bring nature home — one native plant at a time. GFLP will be participating at Christkindlmarkt, an outdoor holiday market hosted by the Congregational Church UCC Tryon.
We are always excited to be a part of community events organized by the church!
This seasonal celebration will feature crafts, food, music and even Santa! At this event GFLP will be giving away 100 Virginia Pine and 100 Eastern Red Cedar seedlings. These two evergreen natives provide essential year-round habitat and food for wildlife. Visitors at the event can also join us at our craft table to make free pine-cone feeders for the birds — a fun, hands-on way for families to celebrate the season while helping backyard wildlife thrive.
🌲 Join Us at Christkindlmarkt!
A Celebration brought to you by The Congregational Church (UCC) Tryon
Friday, December 6th | 12–5 PM
Congregational Church (UCC) Tryon
210 Melrose Avenue, Tryon, NC 28782
Information On Our Giveaway Trees
Here is a look back at the “Seeds” we’ve planted, with the help of our community, since we began in 2022 …
500 White Oaks
When renowned entomologist and author Doug Tallamy spoke at the 2023 Gardening for Life Celebration, GFLP marked the occasion by distributing 500 white oak seedlings — keystone trees that support more than 900 species of butterflies and moths, countless birds, and a host of other wildlife. These small seedlings have now taken root across the Carolina Foothills, growing into future forest giants that will feed and shelter generations of native creatures.
Over 1,000 Packages of Native Seed Mix
Since launching our community outreach, GFLP has distributed more than 1,000 packages of native wildflower seed mix — spreading biodiversity one handful of seeds at a time. These mixes, tailored to our Carolina Foothills ecosystem, include species that bloom from spring through fall, supporting pollinators throughout their life cycles. Whether sprinkled in a backyard bed or a roadside verge, each packet represents a step toward restoring native beauty and balance.
Native Plant Sales that Support Biodiversity
In addition to giveaways, GFLP has organized and partnered on multiple native plant sales, connecting residents with high-quality, locally sourced plants. These sales not only fund future projects but also provide a direct, hands-on way for people to learn about — and fall in love with — native plants that thrive in our soils and climate.
100 Pollinator Pocket Gardens in 2025
As part of the Fall 2025 “Plant It Forward” initiative (Plant Giveaway and Plug Sale with the Congregational Church) GFLP distributed 100 curated pollinator pocket gardens — small but mighty collections of native plants designed to fit into any yard or community space. Each kit features locally grown keystone perennials such as milkweed, goldenrod, mountain mint, and asters. The goal: to create a living patchwork of pollinator habitat across our region, linking gardens into corridors of life.
Rooted in Community, Growing for Life
From white oaks to wildflowers, from pocket gardens to pine seedlings, these initiatives reflect the heart of the Gardening for Life Project: empowering our community to restore nature where we live. Every participant, every plant, and every small garden contributes to something far larger — a regional effort to rebuild the web of life.