A Mother’s Day tradition rooted in Rochester growth
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Kutzky Park couple gives away seedlings to help friends, neighbors start their summer gardens.
By Jeanette Caban, Rochester Post Bulletin
April 30, 2026 at 6:30 AM
Every spring as winter loosens its grip on Rochester, something remarkable begins to take shape inside a second-story greenhouse in Kutzky Park. Seed by seed, tray by tray, Laurel Podulke-Smith and her husband, Darin Smith, cultivate far more than their own summer garden could ever hold. What started as an overenthusiastic response to irresistible seed catalogs has grown into a beloved neighborhood tradition: the annual Plant Giveaway.
“We simply couldn’t stop ourselves from starting seeds in great abundance,” Laurel says. “We would obviously be giving most of the plants away.”
That abundance now totals roughly 1,000 plants each year, all started from seed beginning in early March and carefully tended through the final frost. By the time Mother’s Day arrives, their driveway transforms into a vibrant hub of plants ready to take root.
Upon arrival, attendees will find tables overflowing with tomatoes, peppers, kale, chard, herbs and flowers. Families arrive with wagons and containers in tow. Neighbors reconnect after a long winter. And within just a few hours, the plants are gone.
For Laurel and Darin, the giveaway symbolizes a purpose that extends well beyond the plants themselves.
“The whole community benefits when we know how to grow our own food,” Laurel says.
Their mission is rooted in a bigger picture — increasing access to fresh produce, strengthening neighborhood connections and encouraging people to see the potential in the spaces around them. They consider urban gardening equal parts practical and deeply hopeful.
“We see the potential for green, growth, flowers and food in urban spaces often overlooked and underused,” Laurel explains. “Life is a powerful force … surely, we who live in urbanized areas can find ways to bring our concrete world to life.”
The couple is growing a movement, one plant at a time. Over the past decade, their philanthropic philosophy has slowly taken hold across the neighborhood. Laurel has noticed a steady rise in vegetable gardens, pollinator habitats and even community-led growing spaces.
Local groups have reached out for plant donations and guidance. What began as a small act of generosity has become a catalyst. “It has been thrilling to see flower and vegetable gardens, rain gardens, and pollinator habitat becoming the norm in Kutzky Park,” she says.
While years of trial and error have helped them refine which plants thrive, Darin credits three essentials for their success: worm castings, bonemeal and (unexpectedly) music — more specifically, a playlist from Einstürzende Neubauten.
“The plants immediately took to the experimental techno rhythms,” Laurel jokes. “It prepares them for life on a busy, bustling street corner.”
The last piece of advice from Laurel and Darin: Be prepared to leave with more plants than you planned. “Our sincere wish is for folks to take up gardening as an everyday part of life.”