2024 PARC Rain Garden Events

Friends of the Rouge installed 23,000 sq ft of native gardens around the Plymouth Arts and Recreation Complex (PARC) to improve community water quality. Called rain gardens, these working gardens filter pollutants from rainwater to keep them out of our Rouge River Watershed.

We can‘t maintain these beautiful native gardens without you, our wonderful community volunteers, and we are so excited to start another season with you! By volunteering to maintain these beautiful native gardens, you make a difference in your Rouge community! Check out the fun events we have planned on our garden work days below.

Questions or need accommodations? Email JKristofik@therouge.org

The Plymouth Arts and Recreation Complex (PARC) is located at 650 Church St. For garden workdays, we will meet in the large parking lot off of Adams near the tennis courts.

Earth Day in the PARC – Sat. April 20, 10am-2pm

Kick off the 2024 event season with us this Earth Day weekend with our fellow PARC tenants! We’ll have live music, crafts, education, and more! Kids and adults alike will find activities they’ll love, and learn what Earth day means to our Rouge community. You won’t want to miss meeting some of the incredible businesses in our community and discovering our shared commitment to sustainability!

Pastries with Parents – Sat. May 11, 10am-1pm

Spend a spring morning in the sunshine chatting with other parents in the garden! Kids of all ages are welcome! We’ll enjoy coffee and pastries before working in the garden together with new Friends. Look forward to fresh air, learning about native plants, and working to great music and conversation

Ladies Night in the Garden – Thurs. June 29th, 5-7pm

Enjoy an evening with the ladies! We’ll start out getting some fresh air in the garden before heading downtown to continue the night. Enjoy some evening fresh air, great conversation, and a plant-powered social evening!

Picnic in the PARC – Sat. July 27th, 10am-1pm

Spend a morning in the gardens with your Friends, followed by a sunny picnic and fun games together! We’ll work together cleaning up our native plants to some great music and conversation, and end the morning with a picnic next to the garden! We’ll learn about all the native plants in our garden and seek out the pollinators that visit them , including Monarch butterflies! Look forward to fresh air, good company, games, music, and more! It will be a wonderful way to start your weekend!

Kinder-GARDEN – Sat. August 24th, 10am-12pm

New to all things gardening? Come out for Gardening 101! We’ll go on a weed hunt, discover native flowers, and learn about pollinators! We’ll give some great gardening tips, demonstrate proper weeding technique, talk about why native plants are important, and learn about the wonderful ecosystems we can create by planting natives! All ages and gardening experience are welcome!

Plant Pot Swap – Sat. September 7th, 10am-1pm

Have a spare plant pot? Bring it over to the gardens to swap it with a Friend, or spruce it up with some community painting! We’ll have a pot-painting demonstration after working in the garden, and great chats about our shared love for plants!

Ghoulish Garden Gala – Thurs. October 24th, 5-7pm

Partake in eerie elixirs, spine-chilling sweets, and haunting Halloween games. It’s a spooky evening you won’t forget! We are excited to wrap up our 2024 season with a festive garden evening!