No Space For a Garden at Home? How to Start a Community Garden That Everyone Can Use

The magic of gardening is heightened tenfold when you bring your neighbors and friends into the mix. That’s exactly why starting a community garden is such a fun and exciting idea. While it’s a lovely idea and concept, setting up a community garden can be challenging.

If you’re ready to dig in, here what two collective gardening experts recommend when it comes to starting and cultivating a garden within your very own community.

What Is a Community Garden?

A community garden is a shared space where members of a city, neighborhood, school, or other community can garden, harvest, and spend time. It’s also a great opportunity if you don’t have space for a garden, as it provides opportunities for you and the people around you; it gives everyone a chance to help out, learn gardening best practices, and reap the rewards of what they grow.

“There are many benefits to having a community garden,” says farming expert Malcolm Evans. “It can be therapeutic and can bring you closer to nature, it can bring healthy organic food to the community, and it can also bring the community together and become a place for the youth to learn.”

There are different types of community gardens. One variation is a communal garden where all participants help out in different areas and the veggies, fruits, flowers, and herbs grown can be evenly shared among everyone.

Another popular format is an allotment-style garden. The wider area is open to the community, but each person gets their own plot to grow and harvest what they’d like. The community can then help out in shared spaces and pitch in to keeping the space clean and healthy.

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How to Start a Community Garden

If community organization and gardening energize you, these are the steps you should take to start a community garden, according to the experts.

Engage Your Community

The first step is getting the attention of your neighbors, friends, and fellow community members.

“Starting a community garden is like organizing a neighborhood potluck, but instead of casseroles, everyone brings a shovel,” says Manny Barra, the Oakland community garden coordinator. “First, gather a group of people who are interested in growing their own food or just want to be involved. The more hands, the lighter the work.”

You can get the attention and involvement of the people living around you in plenty of different ways.

“Hang signs and fliers, canvas the community and have people sign a petition, have a friend tell a friend who tells another friend, or host a community welcome event at the garden site to get everyone engaged,” says Evans.

He also points out that’s it’s important to build a relationship with not only your community, but local officials, too. This will make it easier to create and maintain a thriving garden when you know the folks around you.

Find Available Land and Resources

Once people have signaled their interest, it’s time to find the space. Check if there’s an existing garden already in your community, otherwise you’ll need to look for a location.

“Know what you want to grow and what the community needs and wants, make sure to research the products that you want to grow and choose what will work best for everyone,” Evans says.

Resources are also important to consider. Barra says the area will need access to water and ample sunlight. Tool storage and spots for composting are also important.

He says to consider the following questions as well: Will the garden be divided into individual plots, or will it be a shared space? Who will maintain common areas, and how will conflicts be handled?

Follow Necessary Legislation and Secure Funding

Before you can start digging into the soil, it’s important you check all the boxes when it comes to local laws and safety.

“Legally, check zoning laws and make sure you have permission to use the land,” says Barra. “Liability insurance is also worth considering to protect against any unexpected accidents.”

Don’t forget the money aspect either. It’s not the most fun part, sure, but it’s extremely important for getting your garden up and running.

“Grants, membership fees, local business sponsorships, and community fundraisers can all help cover costs,” Barra says. “Hosting a plant sale or a garden-themed event can bring in extra money while also building excitement.”

Think about where you’ll get your tools and supplies. You may be able to find free plants and seeds or crowdsource and see what your community already has on hand in terms of seed catalogs and gardening tools.

Plan Out Your Garden

When you’re starting a garden from scratch, there’s a lot to think about. Planning will help keep everything organized and make the execution of your plans easier.

Start by deciding whether you want to take an allotment approach or a communal one, as that will help you divide up the space and assign responsibilities. Then you can move onto the gardening areas.

“Planning a garden layout is like designing a tiny city where vegetables are the residents,” says Barra. “Start by figuring out where the sunniest spots are and place the most sun-loving plants there. Arrange pathways to allow easy access to every bed without trampling the soil. When choosing plants, think about what grows well in your climate and soil type.”

Next, they both recommend creating crop and management plans. This will help you maintain the flow of things as you go along.

Start Planting

Congratulations on starting your community garden! Now the fun really begins. Here are some plants and considerations our experts recommend:

• Easy-to-grow plants for beginners: Consider tomatoes, basil, lettuce, and radishes.
• Companion plants: Barra says these can help keep pests away and boost plant health. Choose ideal companions based on the plants you grow.
• Perennial flowers: These are perfect because they grow back annually.
• Veggies: Try greens, tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and onions.
• Structures: Trellises, vertical gardens, and compost piles or bins.
• Special touches: Think about pollinator-friendly flower patches, community herb gardens, and peaceful sitting areas.

Tips to Keep Your Community Involved and Inclusive

Your community garden should be a space for beginner gardeners and enthusiastic experts alike and it should be as inclusive as possible. Here are some tips for doing exactly that:

• Ensure the garden is physically accessible. Wide pathways, raised beds, and benches are all recommendations from Barra to make your garden physically more inclusive.
• Make it a safe place. “A lot of people don’t realize that a community garden can be a safe place to hang out and stay out of trouble,” says Evans. Make sure there are events happening and it’s a place where people want to spend time and connect with others.
• Organize events. Create opportunities for more experienced gardeners to share their knowledge, especially when it comes to best practices, self-sufficient gardening, and identifying plants. Barra says pairing people up with mentors can be a wonderful option, too.
• Consider language barriers. To ensure everyone feels welcome, Barra says to create signage in different languages commonly found in your area and provide translated materials, like instruction manuals, in these languages as well.
• Choose the right crops. “Make sure the crops reflect the cultures of the people involved so everyone feels represented in what’s growing,” says Barra.
• Create kid-friendly spaces. Don’t forget about the little ones—designate areas for digging, exploring, and learning specifically for the kids in your community.
• Keep relationships strong. Evans says it’s important to keep relationships and lines of communication open with your community, partners, and officials alike.