Community Building Tip: Community Garden

[ysabetwordsmith]

For my current set of tips, I'm using the list "101 Small Ways You Can Improve Your City.

96. Plant a community garden. Rolling up your sleeves and digging in the soil offers a great way to meet neighbors and collaboratively add something to your neighborhood. To get started, the American Community Gardening Association offers a set of resources and recommendations on how to manage and maintain a public patch.

Find community gardens near you.

Launch a community garden in your town.  Here is a handbook.  Make it as accessible as possible.

Start a yardshare in your area.

Comments

[acelightning73]

There are places in New York City where a tiny corner of a vacant lot became a flourishing community garden, and in every case the community was much the better for it. ("Hey, abuelita, I got a huge crop of peppers this year - if I give you some, would you please show me how you make your salsa?")

[chanter1944]

Neighborhood community gardens are suuuuuper popular in my city. As in, it's not always easy to get a plot sort of popular. I'm hoping to be able to get half a plot in the nearby garden this spring/summer, which will be plenty for a single gal. Cucumbers for pickling attempts will be go! And then it'll be time to see if I can get my Iraqi-born friend to share his mother's pickling methods with me. :)

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> Neighborhood community gardens are suuuuuper popular in my city. As in, it's not always easy to get a plot sort of popular. <<

That sounds like they need more gardens.

>> I'm hoping to be able to get half a plot in the nearby garden this spring/summer, which will be plenty for a single gal.<<

Good luck with it!

>> Cucumbers for pickling attempts will be go! And then it'll be time to see if I can get my Iraqi-born friend to share his mother's pickling methods with me. :) <<

That could be fun.

Re: Thoughts

[chanter1944]

True, but there's also truth in that this is a very gardening-friendly city anyway. I'm told that, in spring and summer, balconies all over the east side of my building are an absolute riot of flourishing greenery catching the rising sun. Mine is not east-facing, but there will be plants out there next year, garden plot or no.

New community gardens, or even gardens based at workplaces, tend to have loads of happy people tending them in a hurry. :) I've heard of one that specifically grows produce for a local food pantry. Also several at elementary schools, which students evidently get a kick out of learning about and in. I believe the produce from those goes to the kiddos' families!