Friends That Garden Together, Grow Together: How to Start or Join a Community Garden

Community members of all ages can reap the benefits of working in a community garden. (Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock)

Victory gardens in public spaces brought the country together during the food insecurity of World War II, and they can do the same thing today.

From apartment dwellers with no room to grow plants to homeowners with a bountiful backyard, community gardens are about the social aspect as much as the resulting fruits and vegetables. They beautify neighborhoods, instill a sense of pride, inspire local homeownership, reduce stress, promote a sense of well-being, increase fitness, improve dietary habits, and teach self-sustaining guidelines, all while providing fresh, affordable produce. It’s a healthy outdoor activity for all ages that can be created by a nonprofit organization, club, charity, municipality, private landowner—and everyday people like you.

Be a Joiner

The easiest way to get started is to join an existing community garden. But be aware that many popular garden spots fill up in early spring, and some uber-popular locations have a waiting list. In that case, you’ve got two options: Search out another garden slightly further away from home or start your own. Another reason to start your own is if there are no convenient community gardens in your neighborhood at all.

We’ll get to starting a community garden in a moment, as in most situations you’ll find a plot that suits you for at least your first year—if only to see how community gardens work firsthand before creating your own green space. The American Community Gardening Association has a helpful directory of gardens at CommunityGarden.org/garden, as does Local Harvest (LocalHarvest.org) and Green America (GreenAmerica.org).

While gardens typically have a membership fee or annual dues to cover the basic costs of running things, this charge is typically kept as low as possible to keep the garden as accessible as possible. Fees may be reduced for seniors or low-income participants, or sometimes waived entirely for those unable to afford them. Some gardens have mandatory hours that gardeners must work in order to do their share of the general maintenance, while some gardens have a more casual attitude toward one’s personal schedule, as long as the work gets done. As with the convenience of the garden’s location, the cost and size of plot you will get as well as your time commitment are all serious considerations before joining a particular community.

Community gardens require a budget, ground rules, and everyone pitching in to make it fruitful. (MikeDotta/Shutterstock)

Starting From Scratch

The first thing you need for a community garden is a community. Get the word out to determine if there’s sufficient interest in a garden. If there is, form a planning group of three to five people; don’t take on this project all by yourself. If possible, invite church and other community leaders to the meetings. Decide what you want to grow and whether it will be a plot garden (more popular) or a cooperative garden.

In a plot garden, plots ranging from 100 to 500 square feet are provided to members, with perhaps a section for large plantings such as corn, pumpkins, watermelon, fruit trees, grapes, or berries. A cooperative garden is one big group effort whereby the produce is equitably distributed among the members and is typically run by communities of faith and civic groups. Sometimes, the harvest is donated to a food bank or soup kitchen.

The Paperwork

Develop bylaws that state how decisions are made and how leaders are selected, the objective, and the scope of the garden. (Is it a plot garden with shared community area for large crops? How will the produce be divided if it’s a cooperative garden?) Other things that should be covered include the size of each plot, whether it’s an organic garden or chemical fertilizers are allowed, how work will be shared, whether gardeners meet regularly, whether training sessions will be offered, and how the next gardener will be chosen if someone leaves a plot.

Create an essentials budget and a wish list. You’ll need labor, land, money to pay water bills, building materials for planter beds (if applicable), fencing, soil, soil amendments, tools, seeds, plants, and other supplies.

You can raise the necessary funds through membership fees, local business sponsors, car washes, and other fundraisers (depending on the make-up of your participants), or grants from the USDA Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program or the EPA Environmental Education Grants. Some seed companies, including Asgrow Seed and America the Beautiful Fund, have been known to provide seed donations to community or school garden projects.

Note: Don’t forget insurance, as most landowners will require proof of liability insurance. If you partner with an organization, they may be able to provide lower-cost insurance or cover the garden under their policy.

Plot gardens are more common than cooperative gardens, but either way, resist the temptation to help yourself to the bounty grown by others' hard work—unless invited, of course! (Chema Grenda/Shutterstock)

The Fun Stuff

Fruits and vegetables require six to eight hours a day of sunlight, and you need access to water. If water isn’t already available, you may need to contact your local utility to have a hook-up and meter installed. See if they’ll do it for free; it doesn’t hurt to ask. Choose a location that’s convenient for the participants.

Check out empty lots, as their owners may be willing to lease them for a small fee or in exchange for maintaining the property and some veggies. Churches, civic associations, and municipalities may have land you can borrow. The ideal property should be a large open area with nothing on it, not even pavement, but if you’re willing to build some raised beds, you can turn any site into a bounteous garden.

SIDEBAR: Community Garden Etiquette

As with all situations where people get together, a little dignity and decorum are required, even when you’re up to your elbows in mud.

Gardening Philanthropist

Offer up those extra seeds you’re not going to use, as well as the extra shovels, spades, garden hoses, watering cans, and cultivators cluttering up your garage. Donate unused soil and fertilizer, too. It’s likely that your neighbors, or the garden itself, can use these supplies.

No Sticky Fingers

Your neighbor’s tomato plants may be bending under the weight of their bounty, but resist the temptation to grab one. There’s nothing worse than coming back to harvest the crops you worked so hard to grow only to find that others have feasted on all your efforts.

Non-Gardening Skills

Running a community garden is a labor of love, with an emphasis on the word labor. If you’re great at organizing, finances, or have any other particular business skill that can help, mention it in a low-key way. Chances are that the overworked garden volunteers will be glad to have your help.