How Does Your Garden Grow?
Monday, July 20, 2026
One of the (many) unique things about Convivium is the way we grow our produce. Or maybe it's more accurate to say that it's where we grow our produce that makes it unique.
Way back in 2013 and 2014, when we first purchased the dilapidated greenhouse complex, it also included an adjacent empty lot that we planned to use for growing. But then reality set in—in the form of zoning regulations requiring us to build a parking lot. (Insert "They paved paradise and put up a parking lot" reference here.)
That threw a major monkey wrench into our plans. But it also forced us to get creative. If we couldn't grow food there, where else could we do it?
We started looking around the neighborhood and noticed that the hair salon on the corner of 28th and Jackson had a large backyard that wasn't being used. So we knocked on the door and asked if we could plant a garden in their backyard.
They said yes.
They were happy to not have to mow the grass, and we were thrilled to have a place to grow food. That one "yes" started something much bigger than we ever imagined.
Soon, other neighbors began asking if we would plant gardens in their yards. Today, we have seven gardens scattered throughout the North End, producing more than 5,000 pounds of fruits, vegetables, and herbs each year. Every one of those growing spaces is generously donated by members of our community.
We talk a lot about food and connection at Convivium, and I think this network of gardens is a beautiful example of both. These little pockets of growing spaces quietly produce food for our Free Community Casserole Program, for our restaurant, and for the housemade products we sell in our gift shop. But they also connect neighbors to one another. They turn unused spaces into places with purpose.
Every year, nearly 2,000 people from around the world walk through these gardens. Many are visitors arriving on Mississippi River cruise boats, but we also welcome school field trips, community organizations, and tour groups from throughout the Midwest.
Giving tours is honestly one of my favorite parts of what I do. I love watching people realize that these aren't demonstration gardens tucked behind a fence—they're woven right into the fabric of a neighborhood. They tell the story of what can happen when a community shares what it has and works together toward something bigger.
If you've never taken the tour, I hope you'll consider it. It's a chance to see Convivium from a different perspective—not just as a restaurant or cooking school, but as a collection of gardens, neighbors, and ideas that all work together to improve life through food.
If you'd like to explore on your own, simply grab a restaurant menu and flip it over. The map on the back will guide you through the gardens, and interpretive signs along the way share the story behind each stop.
If you'd like a guided experience for your group, we'd love to host you. Reach out to us at events@convivium-dbq.com to schedule a tour, and if you'd like, we can even include lunch as part of your visit.
And if you're reading this before Sunday, July 26, you're in luck. That's our annual Open House, and we'll be offering guided tours every hour beginning at 9:00 a.m. Whether you're a longtime supporter or have always wondered what all those little neighborhood gardens are about, we'd love to show you around. Sometimes the best way to understand Convivium isn't by reading about it—it's by taking a walk through it.
Yours convivially,
