Love Grows Here

Love Grows Here is a gentle, heartwarming picture book about the quiet ways love takes root, grows with care, and blossoms over time.

Through the simple act of planting and tending a tomato seed, a father and daughter share moments that become lessons for life-patience in the waiting, courage in the weeding, and joy in the harvest. As the garden grows, so does their bond, revealing how everyday time spent together shapes a child's understanding of love.

Inspired by real moments in the garden and the love passed down through generations, Love Grows Here reminds readers that the care we pour into small things-plants, people, and shared moments-has a lasting impact.

Perfect for read-alouds and quiet reflection, this story invites children and caregivers alike to slow down, notice the beauty in ordinary moments, and remember that where love is tended, it lasts.

Dean Menso is a father, gardener, and storyteller who believes that the most important work happens quietly-around the kitchen table, beneath the shade of a fruit tree, and in the small moments families share while tending the world together. Based in the Lehigh Valley, he founded Truly Rooted Media to document his journey of intentional fatherhood, slow living, and cultivating a family legacy that lasts.Dean's love for gardening began as a personal practice to reconnect with nature and find stillness. Over time, those moments in the soil became woven into his parenting. His children helped plant seedlings, water garden beds after school, harvest berries in summer, and ask thoughtful questions about life, family, and the world. From those conversations grew the idea for Love Grows Here-a gentle picture book about how love is passed down, nurtured, and grown through presence.Drawing from family stories, cultural heritage, and a belief in teaching children through lived experience, Dean writes with warmth, simplicity, and emotional depth. His work encourages families to slow down, honor ordinary moments, and recognize growth not only in gardens, but in themselves.Love Grows Here is his debut children's book and the first in a planned series exploring family, nature, and legacy.