Community Gardens

A community garden can be a great opportunity for someone who loves to garden in many different ways. Community gardens can be very helpful for people who don’t have space in their own homes or apartments to garden, for people that might struggle to afford gardening supplies on their own, or for those that are interested in bringing more of nature back into their community. Whatever your reasons, community gardening can be a great resource for any type of gardener.

If you decide to have your garden within a community garden there are a few things you should know before you get started. First of all you will more than likely have to pay a fee of some kind if you’re going to be working in an already established community garden. Typically these fees are done annually and allow you to “rent” a specific plot or area in the garden for the growing season that year. These fees usually pay for the land and any taxes that are incurred on it as well as for some amenities like water use however each garden is different so be sure to ask in advance how much the fee is and what it includes.

It’s also important to be aware of any guidelines your community garden may have with regards to growing certain plants or the tending of the garden. Many gardens have very specific rules as to what can be grown, how frequently the garden must be tended, and what kind of condition the garden should be in. If these rules are broken many gardens will confiscate your plot of land and give it to another gardner (perhaps one that has been on a waiting list) that will take better care of it or adhere to the rules more closely. So if you don’t want to lose all your hard work be sure to follow any guidelines you may have been given.

It’s also important to remember that because you’ll be planting near others you have to be careful of what and how you plant. Make sure that your plants aren’t going to spread out and take over the garden next to you and that none of the gardens around yours are encroaching on your space. It’s also important to be aware of others gardens as you work so that you don’t damage any of their plants while you’re taking care of your own. Also know that because community gardens are on shared land they’re often more exposed to the public than a private garden would be. This may mean that you have to deal with stealing and vandalism more than you would if you had a garden in your own backyard. Because of this it’s probably not a good idea to plant very expensive plants or to spend a huge amount of money on your community garden plot simply because you can’t guarantee the security of it.

However this doesn’t mean you have to avoid community gardens - they can be great for plants that require more space and they’re also really helpful for teaching children garden and for connecting with other gardeners in your area. Do some searching online and find a garden near you or if you don’t have one available consider starting one up!