community garden ideas

What can you grow in a community garden?

Here are 12 of the best!

Tomatoes. Every gardener looks forward to their first fresh, sun-ripened tomato right off the vine. ...
Winter Squash. This is a “plant it and ignore it” vegetable until it is time to harvest. ...
Carrots. Carrots require little care. ...
Beets. ...
Kale. ...
Eggplant. ...
Onions. ...
Cabbage.

How do you create a community garden?

PREPARE AND DEVELOP THE SITE

Clean the site.
Develop your design.
Gather your resources--try to gather free materials.
Organize volunteer work crews.
Plan your work day.
Decide on plot sizes, mark plots clearly with gardeners names.
Include plans for a storage area for tools and other equipment, as well as a compost area.

What do you do at a community garden?

Community gardens provide space for people to work together to create beautiful, productive spaces. Local gardeners report that by getting involved in community gardens, they spend more time outdoors, interact more with neighbours, meet new friends, and experience improvements in their mental and physical health.

Are community gardens successful?

Results suggest that community gardens were perceived by gardeners to provide numerous health benefits, including improved access to food, improved nutrition, increased physical activity and improved mental health. Community gardens were also seen to promote social health and community cohesion.

Do community gardens make money?

A community garden thrives on its community members. Typically, they make money through ongoing memberships. These memberships can either be basic or provide ongoing gardening supplies. Additional revenue opportunities exist in gardening shops, seed shops, classes, and similar visitation experiences.

How do you water a community garden?

Applying water to the base of plants will make the best use of water. Ideally soaker hoses or drip irrigation is the most efficient, but that is not practical in most of our community gardens. Directing water to the base of plants will help in water conservation.

How do I start a community?

Building a community takes time. It takes a while for a community to really 'feel' like a community. ...
Find your niche. The internet is a massive space and there are many communities out there already. ...
Start with a beta community. ...
Content is key. ...
Engage! ...
Get down with marketing. ...
Keep calm and carry on.

How much space do you need for a community garden?

In-ground plots can be from 10 x 10 up to 20 x 20 feet. Pathways between beds and plots should be least 3 to 4 feet wide to allow space for wheelbarrows. The soil in both raised bed and in-ground plots should be amended with aged compost or manure to improve its fertility and increase its organic matter content.

How do you start a garden?

10 Top Gardening Tips for Beginners

Site it right. Starting a garden is just like real estate it's all about location. ...
Follow the sun. Misjudging sunlight is a common pitfall when you're first learning to garden. ...
Stay close to water. ...
Start with great soil. ...
Consider containers. ...
Discover your zone. ...
Learn your frost dates. ...
Add some mulch.

How do you promote a community garden?

Establish children's plots within the garden and invite young people within the community to participate. Consider marketing the youth plots to local scout troops, day cares, foster grandparent programs, and church groups to increase the number of people in the garden and decrease the amount of time it is vacant.

Why do community gardens fail?

Whether it's your plants, tools, or cash that goes missing, theft is at least an occasional fact of life for most all community gardens. Sadly, vandalism in the form of property destruction or defacement also occurs. While non-members are the most obvious culprits, intra-garden shenanigans are known to occur, too!

What is a community garden called?

Neighborhood gardens are the most common type that is normally defined as a garden where a group of people come together to grow fruits, vegetables and ornamentals. They are identifiable as a parcel of private or public land where individual plots are rented by gardeners at a nominal annual fee.

What are the benefits for the community of community gardens and why?

By providing access to fresh organic produce, opportunities for physical activity, contact with nature, and neighborhood meeting places, these gardens promote physical and mental health in communities with diverse residents” (Prevention Institute, 2004, p. 21).

How do I start a nonprofit community garden?

6 Steps to Starting a Community Garden in Your Own Neighborhood

Organize a Committee of Like Minds and Diverse Talents. ...
Present it to Your Local Governing Bodies. ...
Pick a Site. ...
Find a Sponsor. ...
Prepare the Site for Planting. ...
Design the Layout of the Garden to Accommodate the Unique Personality of the Community.

Do Community gardens reduce crime?

Whereas vacant lots can be magnets for crime, well-monitored community gardens offer no place for crime to flourish. ... A 2012 study at the University of Pennsylvania found evidence that greening vacant lots in Philadelphia with a park or community garden may reduce crime in the area immediately surrounding the lot.

Can you use pond water to water your garden?

Water from a nearby water source, such as a pond, may seem a natural option for watering plants. But unlike tap water or water from the hose, pond water may contain other things that could harm your plants.

Is River water good for plants?

River water may sound like a great idea for watering your plants at first, and maybe even for drinking, although this is not recommended at all.

How do I start a community garden in my apartment complex?

Ready? Here's how to start a community garden:

Location. Choose a spacious spot on the apartment complex grounds that gets a lot of sun and would be easy for residents and staff to access.
Types of plants. ...
Designing individual plots. ...
Occupancy fee. ...
Equipment. ...
Compost. ...
Maintenance. ...
Rules.

How do you build a strong community?

How to build a strong community

Set your goals. Communities can take many forms. ...
Know your audience. It's also a good idea to do some research into your target audience before you launch your community. ...
Uncover their passion. ...
Offer exclusive perks. ...
Unite for charity. ...
Keep experimenting. ...
Find your niche. ...
Don't do it alone.

How do you build a successful community?

Best practices for building communities

Be purpose-driven. ...
Keep your focus on your purpose and your members. ...
Be deliberate in your decisions about a community and its culture. ...
Find tools and strategies that support communities. ...
Involve your members. ...
Empower your members.

How do you start a successful online community?

Here are the 7 steps to build your own online community.

Identify key stakeholders for the online community.
Define the purpose and goal.
Select a community platform.
Build a member profile.
Develop rules and norms.
Set up your community.
Identify key stakeholders for the online community.
Promote your community.