Seasonal Rotation: Keeping the Jill Stone Garden Productive Year-Round
A walk through the Jill Stone Community Garden at Temple Emanu‑El reveals that gardening is always a work in progress. As one crop finishes producing, another is planted. Warm‑season vegetables such as peppers and eggplant follow cool‑season crops like kale and collards, while herbs including basil, parsley, sage, and cilantro are tucked along the edges of the beds.
This continual transition is part of a thoughtful practice known as seasonal crop rotation. It takes place throughout the year as Dallas gardeners respond to changing temperatures, crop maturity, pest pressures, and soil needs.
Located on the grounds of Temple Emanu‑El at the corner of Hillcrest Road and Northwest Highway, the Jill Stone Garden is a designated Dallas Master Gardener Association volunteer site. The garden produces thousands of pounds of fresh vegetables annually, all donated through the North Texas Food Bank to the Vickery Meadow Food Pantry, helping provide nutritious food to families throughout the community.
One of the primary benefits of crop rotation is pest management. Many insects and soil‑dwelling pests become associated with specific crops. When the same vegetables are planted in the same location season after season, those pests can establish themselves and return year after year.
“Nematodes are a good example,” said Lori Droppo, Master Gardener and lead volunteer at the community garden. “If you plant the same crop season after season, nematodes can remain in the soil and continue attacking it. Rotating crops helps break that cycle.”
The same principle applies to many common garden pests. Aphids, beetles, and other insects often target particular plants. By changing what is grown in a bed from season to season, gardeners make it more difficult for pest populations to become established.
Crop rotation also contributes to healthier soil. Different plants utilize nutrients in different ways. Fruiting vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant are heavy feeders and consume significant amounts of nutrients, including nitrogen. Following them with crops that have different nutrient needs helps make better use of available nutrients and provides an opportunity to replenish the soil before the next planting.
At the Jill Stone Garden, volunteers do not till spent plants back into the soil. The garden’s Vego raised beds leave little room for traditional tilling. Instead, plants are removed while some of their roots are left behind to decompose naturally.
“We’ll often cut the plant at soil level and let the roots break down underground,” said another volunteer. “By the time we eventually pull the remaining root structure, much of the fine root system has already dissipated.”
This practice helps preserve soil structure and encourages microbial activity below the surface. As roots decompose, they create pathways for water movement and provide organic matter that supports beneficial soil organisms.
Pollinator Gardens Follow the Seasons, Too
Seasonal planning isn’t limited to vegetables. The Jill Stone Garden’s pollinator beds also change throughout the year.
Different flowering plants thrive under different growing conditions. Some perform best during the cooler months, while others tolerate the intense heat of a North Texas summer. Zinnias, for example, are well suited to hot weather and continue producing blooms when many spring flowers have faded.
By selecting plants for different seasons, volunteers provide pollinators with food sources over a longer period while keeping the garden colorful and productive.
Every Harvest Makes a Difference
The importance of healthy, productive garden beds extends beyond good gardening practices. Every vegetable harvested at the Jill Stone Garden is donated through the North Texas Food Bank to the Vickery Meadow Food Pantry.
Successful seasonal rotation helps the garden maintain productive beds throughout the year. By reducing pest pressure, preserving soil health, and selecting crops appropriate for each growing season, volunteers maximize the amount of fresh produce available for the community.
Join Us in the Garden
Master Gardeners and community volunteers are always welcome at the Jill Stone Community Garden. Whether you are interested in harvesting vegetables, maintaining garden beds, caring for pollinator plants, or simply learning more about sustainable gardening practices, there is always work to be done.
Volunteer hours: Wednesday Harvest: 8:00–10:00 a.m. Friday Harvest: 8:00–10:00 a.m. Sunday Garden Workday: 8:00–10:00 a.m.
Volunteer hours are seasonal and are expected to change as the weather cools, generally around the first weekend of November.
The garden is located at 8500 Hillcrest Road, Dallas, on the grounds of Temple Emanu‑El. Visitors should enter through the security gate at the entrance.
No experience is necessary—just comfortable shoes and a willingness to get your hands dirty. Along the way, you may learn firsthand how something as simple as rotating crops can help sustain a garden that nourishes both the soil and the community.
