How to Start a Community Garden
A Community Garden:
For those people who live in cities or have wooded gardens, a community garden is a great way to get your hands dirty and grow some flowers and vegetables. Community gardens are a powerful way to bring neighborhoods together, reduce crime and get some family time, exercise and relaxing. They can also reduce crime especially when grown on a vacant lot. Get together with some neighbors who are interested and decide on a vision: working together step by step your garden will flourish. Here are some guidelines to follow to start your own organic community garden:
Choose An Organic Garden:
An organic garden is a non-toxic environment free from chemicals and pesticides. Organic methods such as composting and mulching create a balanced environment by building the fertility of the soil. Soil rich in nutrients fosters healthy, strong plants that fight insects and disease in harmony with the earth.
Form a Planning Committee:
• Organize a meeting or gathering of interested people.
• Determine the kind of garden you will build: vegetable or flower gardens. Will there be a bench or a fountain?
• Who will the garden serve?
• Make friends with the neighbors.
Choose a Site:
• Identify the owner of the land.
• Obtain a lease or agreement.
• Determine the availability of water.
• Ensure that the chosen piece of land gets at least 6 hours of sunlight daily (especially for vegetables).
• Do a soil test in the fall for heavy metals and nutrients.
Prepare the site:
• Design the garden.
• Decide on plot sizes and mark plots clearly with gardeners’ names.
• Organize volunteer work crews.
• Make and post a rain proof bulletin board to announce messages and garden events.
The Garden Organization:
• Will you arrange your garden structure formally or informally?
• Will you be a non-profit group or a club?
• Will you have by-laws or rules/guidelines?
• Determine your conditions for membership.
• Determine if there will be a set of written rules to uphold, and how they will be enforced
• Will the gardeners share tools, hose etc?
• How will the group deal with vandalism or other problems that may arise?
How to manage the garden:
Having written rules is important as they specify what exactly is expected from a gardener and what will happen should they abandon or neglect their plot.
Troubleshooting:
• Make friends with the neighbors by trading flowers or vegetables for a watchful eye
• Invite everyone to participate to prevent bad blood in the neighborhood
• Involve children
• Make a sign for the garden
• Fence the garden
Further Resources:
• How Does Your Garden Grow: A Guide to Community Garden Success by Laura Berman
• American Community Garden Association: http://www.communitygarden.org/learn/starting-a-community-garden.php
• University of California Cooperative Extension Community Garden Start up Guide: http://celosangeles.ucdavis.edu/garden/articles/startup_guide.html