To make your leadership role successful, be clear about what you can offer and the time commitment you can make. My new plot was a small 4×4 garden area, contained by a wooden raised bed. Benefits to Joining a Community Garden. What's the most important part of the phrase "community garden"? Be sure to set up cages/fences for climbing plants (like tomatoes) to climb on before they really start to grow. It’s kind of like having a cat. There's no point in being snarky about the trash around the perimeter of the garden (or whatever may be bothering you). Our seven Pop-up Victory Gardens follow this legacy by teaching everyone basic, organic, food-gardening skills. This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. These spaces can have a specific goal, such as to garden for those less fortunate, or they can simply indulge your green thumb … On rare occasions, there is paid staff to oversee the gardens. I know I have! Old or new, the community gardens that last the longest focus on people and the give and take between individuals and the larger group. Organizing, financing and communicating with the garden community takes up a lot of behind-the-scenes time and, if you have some skills to offer in this area, they will be greatly appreciated. LaManda Joy is founder of Peterson Garden Project, a gardening/home cooking education program in Chicago, IL. Listen to your mom! Finding & Joining a Community Garden Community gardens are spaces that are collectively owned by a group for the purpose of gardening. Do not plant 4 seeds in a 4×4 space. Community gardens are a great way to have the pride and ownership of having a garden while sharing the responsibilities with others, leaning together, and even sharing and bartering produce. Others make deep connections with fellow gardeners or develop a relationship with nature — sometimes for the first time. Kale grows like a weed. Welcome! She is an Illinois Extension Master Gardener, blogger (theyarden.com) and speaker. Remember that once everything has grown, you’ll still need to be able to reach in to harvest and tend to your plants. She knows a lot about gardening. As mentioned above, not all of my plants flourished, but some sure did (here’s looking at you, tomatoes, kale, and zucchini!). We are even having a big end of season harvest party soon! Fees cover basic costs to run gardens and, sometimes, provide materials. The garden I signed up for was within a 5 minute walk from my apartment – lucky me! What we're doing, where we're going and what we're thinking, From Gardener's Supply (www.gardeners.com), © 2020 Gardener's Supply Company, 128 Intervale Road, Burlington, VT 05401 |, Mother Nature wants YOU to Join a Community Garden, Start a Community Food Garden: The Essential Handbook, Garden to Give Show What You Share Contest. Aphids are revolting. Good things happen in gardens when people come together to nurture something beautiful. If you’re considering joining one, don’t put it off! Read seed packages or research what kind of environment each veggie likes to grow in. lol). Get to know your neighbors! The downtown location of the community garden I joined led to many disappearing plants and produce… there is no sadder feeling when you arrive in the morning to harvest your zucchinis or basil and realize they have all been stolen. The real answer to this trick question is "community" and that means YOU. Set a good example and honor everyone's hard work. Ever heard of a community garden? Community gardens, also known as allotments, are a great option for people who don’t have space to grow food at their own house. It would be easy to say "garden" — because that's the part you can see. How to Join a Community Garden by Sabrina I. Pacifici on Nov 12, 2020 LifeHacker – “Gardening has always had its fair share of fans, but it’s another example of an activity—like baking, knitting, and doing puzzles—that has taken off even more since the COVID-19 outbreak began. These reasons — and many more — fuel the people who grow food at a community garden. A very delicious weed! Leah Howard is a guest blogger on Home for the Harvest. Community garden volunteer caring for a vegetable bed. This week the current struggle has been me trying to find my ripened tomatoes in a zucchini maze. Your small contributions add up to a greater garden experience for all. How awesome is it to have fresh, organic kale, all year round? If you have easy access to these types of things, they might be put to good use. ), and then decided to try my hand at indoor-grown kale. at some point or another. - About Mary Jane (https://www.homefortheharvest.com/authors/about-mary-jane-duford/), How Like To Know It Works & How To Use It (+Who To Follow). It was in a sunny, south/west facing spot, with a self-watering design. Gardening is also a great way to de-stress. The best tip for picking what you want to grow in your community garden bed is by looking at what you actually eat. The farmer who owns it has divided the farm into about 40 separate lots. I picked up some organic seeds from local shops (if you don’t have any near you, order some online from West Coast Seeds or Botanical Interests). At your finger tips? Expect to spend some additional hours, all season long, helping garden leaders with tasks to keep the garden maintained. Power tools, extra lumber, soil amendments, extra garden hose …. If you’ve always been intrigued and interested in the idea of starting a community garden, but never knew exactly how to go about starting one, here are some simple tips and suggestions that anyone can do! Here are a few ways you can help your community garden thrive: Most community gardens are run by cities and/or nonprofit organizations that are often understaffed and/or underfunded. Gardening has always been a part of my life, or rather I should say, my grandmother’s/mother’s lives. Today, such gardens are found nationwide—in both urban and rural settings. I’d only heard whispers of their existence in the city, and believed them to reside only in hipster heaven. Plus, being part of a community garden offers something that growing … Often it’s for the simple reason that they don’t have space for growing at home. a garden leader. If you’re growing carrots and don’t actually like to eat carrots… well.. you see where I’m going with this.