I’ve been getting a lot of questions recently from people looking to start a community garden in their neighborhood. What I’ve included below is by no means a definitive guide, since there are lots of publications on community gardening out there now. However, these are the publications I have read and can wholeheartedly recommend. Feel free to add your own recommendations in the comments.
- “How Does Our Garden Grow: A Guide to Community Garden Success” – Get this guidebook written by Laura Berman and published by FoodShare. It covers everything including: finding a site, approaching the landowner, dealing with bureaucratic red tape, creating rules and expectations, growing the community in a positive way, handling potential social problems within the community garden group, when to start, safety issues, as well as the growing how-to information.
- Community Gardening 101: Online workshop – FoodShare also has an archived online workshop that can guide you through getting a group together to fundraising.
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden Guide: Community Gardening – This book contains success stories and models, talks about how to build community through horticulture, and provides practical growing tips. On the cover: that’s my hand holding sage grown in my own community garden plot!
- The American Community Garden Association online guide to community gardening – Lots of helpful information covering how to get started, growing guides, and sample forms i.e. rules, plot registration forms, etc.
- City Farmer – News, stories and tips about urban agriculture.
Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
You are an endless source of inspiration, gayla — what a brilliant idea. I am going to add this to my list of 100 things! xo
Gayla, how big is your community plot ?
Helen: After a long winter, I can’t remember the size. Been months since I’ve been there.
Community gardens are great alternatives for people who have little space and limited time. Not only do they have the obvious reward of fresh produce, but also they get people working together on creating life. Thank you for sharing some excellent sources for getting started.
Toronto Community Garden Network is also a good resource – http://www.tcgn.ca. Lots of existing gardens are looking for volunteers too – like us, at the Emerson Community Garden at the Emerson exit of the Lansdowne Subway Station! If anyone is in the neighbourhood, you’d be most welcome to come and get involved, there’s lots of room! You can find more info about us under West End Flower Fairies at the TCGN website above.
Thanks for your great website, Gayla…
We used to have a community plot in Oshawa, but the city sold it to a developer!
Thanks so much for posting this!
I’m just in the sprouting stages of getting a community ‘growth’ centre going by using a small school that is now empty because of a bigger one being built round the corner. I wanted to combine the idea of a community garden with ideas like the victory gardens, classes about climate change and how we can help & adapt, cooking classes, etc.
Any thoughts or sudgestions?
Thank you for the book recommendations!
I’ve had “Brooklyn Botanic Garden Guide: Community Gardening,” checked out of the library for about a month now. It’s so good that I can’t return it. I love the earnest pictures, it’s one of the most inspiration gardening books I’ve ever read. I love how it depicts urban youths and -real- gardeners in general.
I saw this in the Chicago Tribune yesterday: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-leclaire-gardens-zone-city-1apr15,0,6691906.story
Very helpful! Thanks very much for posting. Love your blog…
What do I need to get some good soil for planting vegies?
I have bought some cow fertilizer but not sure if that is all I need for the planting. Need some help