This internationally recognized garden is located in the northeast corner of the park near the park office. Collin County Master Gardeners named the garden in honor of Dr. Greg Church, who was the Collin County AgriLife Extension Service horticulture agent and the driving force behind the establishment of the Earth-Kind Gardens at Myers Park and Event Center.

This productive garden, built during 2013 in the northwest section of the park, includes six beds that are each three feet by 48 feet. Vegetable varieties are planted within four research sections. Our Master Gardeners have amended the soil with four to six inches of aged plant-derived compost and they maintain a three-inch layer of native hardwood mulch. No fertilizer or pesticides are used except for organic fire ant bait in the pathways. We monitor soil moisture and water as needed.  Data is collected and produce is counted and weighed. The garden is productive nearly the entire year and uses a six-year crop rotation plan. Local food banks receive much of the harvest. 

Just steps away from the Herb Research Garden, you will find a fruitful vineyard, which began in 2015 as part of a statewide effort to identify low-maintenance grape cultivars that are both ornamental and able to produce high-quality fruit for table use, making jellies or wine. The vineyard consists of four long beds that cover 7,700 square feet. The soil is amended with three inches of fully finished vegetative compost to a depth of up to 8 inches. We prune grapevines as needed, maintain a three-inch mulch layer and use drip irrigation. We do not spray for disease, fertilize or use pesticides. At harvest, grape clusters are counted, weighed, and tested for sugar content.  

Walk up the hill above the gazebo to see shrubs and grasses.  In 2016, the garden replaced a rose garden stricken by Rose Rosette Virus.  Four 2,200 square foot beds hold 20 shrubs, 12 grasses and perennials for added color. Master Gardeners do not fertilize or use pesticides except fire ant bait and they water plants infrequently. In late winter, grasses and perennials are cut back heavily and shrubs are pruned lightly. Master Gardeners collect data to evaluate plants for disease, nutrient deficiency, insect damage, water stress and overall appearance.

Park your car by the Farm Museum and take the kids up the great stone steps that lead toward a garden made for them. Whole Foods funded this exciting outdoor classroom in 2017 with proceeds from their 5% Giving Day. The garden features a seating area and several activity zones. Kids will explore garden rooms filled with various fruits, vegetables, herbs, shrubs, perennials, annuals and also ornamental grasses. The variety of these displays allows children to see in a short time, what they might see if they traveled to each of the other gardens across the park.

Any Texas day is a good day for a shade garden!  In 2017, Myers Park and Event Center asked Master Gardeners to help build a shade garden to enhance the wooded area south of the Farm Museum.  The park provided funding and additional logistical support. Great care went into bed preparation, garden design and plant selection. The young garden already provides a beautiful setting for weddings and a calm cooling space for visitors. The gently sloping garden is an elegant stage for Japanese Maples, shrubs, perennials and annuals.