Our Stories

Meet our Gardeners and Friends
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Nora Shourd
Nora is the Ashby Community Garden angel. She has been at the garden since it's beginning in 2004. Her incredible perseverance and dedication has played a huge role in the garden's longevity. She keeps the space safe and tidy, and is the tender of the amazing apple tree.

Bonnie Borukki
So much a part of the garden, it's like she grew here. Bonnie has had a lifetime love of plants and gardening and has the wisdom that comes with it. She is our garden coordinator and president of our Board. She has mentored, fed and schooled many garden folks throughout the years. 

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Rachel Haight
​Rachel has been a solid part of the garden for years now: quietly doing the day to day tasks that keep us going, nonprofit work, spreadsheets, paying bills, coordinating membership, and her plot always looks so green and bright.  She is one of our artistic gardeners; maker of gorgeous stuff with her hands and she gives our frequent and popular Natural Dye Workshops.

​Melanie Molina
She has been one of our Gardners for a couple of years now. To be fair, we should include Ben and Kali Sage because they usually come to the Garden together. We cant wait til Kali is running around on her own, digging in the dirt and yanking weeds. Melanie is an herbalist and finds a lot of what she needs to practice in the Garden. She is a grounding force and a wise woman indeed.

Ally Paskal
Ally is a long time gardener extraordinaire. She grows a wide variety of pollinator friendly blooms, including California native plants, providing food for bees, butterflies and other buzzing creatures in the garden. She is both a master gardener and a permaculture expert. Her smile blesses the garden and all those around her. Ally has a way with the kids and her real job is as a teacher of preschool teachers nationwide.

Jenny Shore
The day that Jenny first came to the Garden was a lucky one for the Garden and all who know her.  She brought deep understanding of the earth and so much love it was contagious.  Jenny had a background in the business world that helps us maneuver thru garden business.. And she sees a vision in colors and words for the Garden into the future.

Toni Cox
​She is an expert on Monarch butterflies and created a Monarch Wayside Station at the Garden. She did this by creating the habitat they need to lay their eggs and hatch into caterpillars and have the right plants to eat and go on to Chrysalis phase and then butterflies.. Last spring, the Garden was like a picture book filled with these lovely bugs.. Everywhere. 

Carrie Jahde 
You can tell by looking at Carrie’s plot that she knows how to garden. Her green thumb produces an abundance of vegetables each season. She has a sunny disposition and grows amazingly tall sunflowers. Besides her gardening skills, she is also a very talented musician to boot playing jazz clubs around the East Bay.

Sam Strong
Sam is the go to guy for plant identification and lore. He turns all this into a lovely garden plot with unexpected mystery plants . Just ask Sam.  Who needs a plant app ??

If you like our work and want to see the garden thrive, please donate and help us continue to grow. ​