Bobby’s Garden takes root as living tribute to Tucson master gardener
Bobby’s Garden, a new school garden at Mansfield Middle School in Tucson, honors master gardener Bobby Gentry while supporting hands-on learning for students.
A new school garden taking root in Tucson is designed to be more than a place to grow food; it’s a living tribute to community, mentorship and a lifelong love of gardening.
A project from the University of Arizona School Garden Workshop, Bobby’s Garden honors the legacy of beloved master gardener Bobby Gentry while creating a space where students and neighbors can learn, gather and grow together for years to come.
Gentry passed away on Jan. 16, 2024. The garden, which will include a commercial kitchen and a commercial-style greenhouse, also serves as a tribute to his wife, Norma Gentry, who played a pivotal role in supporting Bobby’s Garden.
Bobby’s Garden will be located at the Sprouts House, a new community learning hub created from two formerly abandoned houses next door to Mansfield Middle School. Now home to the university’s School Garden Workshop, the space serves Tucson Unified School District students by offering hands-on experiences where they grow vegetables, cook meals together and learn how food moves from garden to kitchen to table.
Family, friends and community members gathered for a groundbreaking celebration for Bobby’s Garden on Dec. 16, with speakers including local chef and Tucson City of Gastronomy representative Janos Wilder, University of Arizona School Garden Workshop Director Moses Thompson and more.
“That was Bobby's passion. (It) was being a gardener, was growing, was canning food, was raising chilies and loving to share that passion,” Wilder said. “The other one that I'm going to mention is kids. He was a magnet for kids. Every kid loved him. He loved them, and so that this is located here in the school is really, really important.”
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Wilder and the Tucson City of Gastronomy donated fruit trees to plant in the new garden, along with some of Bobby Gentry’s ashes.
“This is not just a space for you to gather in this moment, but this is going to be a space that brings people together from across schools, from across the region, to garden together in the spirit of Bobby,” Thompson told attendees.
The creation of the Sprouts House grew out of a major fundraising push led by Thompson, who secured a $1 million lead donation from the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation toward a $2.5 million goal. Construction began in spring 2025 and wrapped up in less than a year.
The School Garden Workshop, based in the School of Geography, Development and Environment in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, has spent more than a decade introducing K–12 students to food systems, community and environmental stewardship. The program works closely with under-resourced schools throughout Tucson, pairing University of Arizona student interns with Tucson Unified School District teachers to support school gardens and weave hands-on, garden-based learning into daily instruction.
The garden will include in-ground beds and teaching spaces and become a field trip destination for all TUSD and UA students, said School Garden Workshop Program Manager Brit Palomarez. There are also plans to add a greenhouse and chicken coop.
Wilder said the project will help better inform children on how to make healthier food choices.
“It's an important one because it teaches our kids where the food comes from,” Wilder said. “It teaches them about nourishment and nutrition, and maybe makes them realize that there's more places to go to than Burger King and McDonald's, and there are stores like Sprouts to shop at, who have really good stuff to work with.”
Attendees enjoyed light refreshments that reflected the event’s emphasis on community. Desserts were provided by Gourmet Girls Gluten Free Bakery/Bistro, and beverages included an agua fresca, a blend of basil, lemon and watermelon, prepared by Manzo Elementary School students.
Guests also had the opportunity to explore the Sprouts House, with Thompson and other speakers encouraging attendees to donate and help support the project.
“Any money that we raise today goes into this garden space to make this garden even more special,” Thompson said.
Ambur Wilkerson is a freelance journalist based in Tucson and a holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Arizona.
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