When you talk to community members, you can say something like: “Hi! I’m Jenna from down the street. I’m hoping to organize a community garden, and I’d like to know if you’d be interested in working with our neighbors and I on something like that. ” You may also be able to set up a town hall meeting. Contact a local governmental official or your neighborhood rep to find out if this would be a good option for putting together a garden group.
There’s no set size for a community garden. Generally, single-family plots measure about 10 by 15 feet (3. 0 by 4. 6 m). [2] X Research source If you have twenty families with plots, then, you need a minimum space of 3,000 square feet (278. 7 ㎡). Most community gardens are at least 2,000 to 5,000 square feet (185. 8-464. 5 ㎡). If you have access to a smaller spot, that will work great, too! Ultimately, your community garden can be as small or as big as you want.
A president can coordinate between different families and speak to members about any problems that come up. For example, the president may occasionally have to talk to the group about strictly following the watering schedule. You might also have a vice-president to split the duties of the president. The treasurer can open a bank account in the group’s name and pay water, land-leasing, electricity, and trash disposal bills out of that account. The secretary can keep track of all your records and take notes whenever your group (or the officers) meet. A social coordinator can organize monthly and/or annual events for your garden club.
Keep your fundraising events simple to avoid spending more on them than you make! Organize a car wash, bake sale, or craft fair. For some groups, it may be possible to have startup costs close to $0! If you have access to an empty space that an owner allows you to use for free and you’re able to gather gardening tools, seeds, and other supplies from among your neighbors, you won’t have any start-up expenses. Be aware that going forward you’ll likely have low-cost monthly expenses to cover water and electricity bills.
You might also be able to get donations of gardening tools, seeds, manure, and even cash from local businesses and/or neighborhoods institutions (like schools or churches).
You should be able to find out if the area already has piping and a water meter by speaking directly to a customer service representative from the water company. Since the potential plots are in your neighborhood, the company should be the same one that provides you with your water.
Make sure to keep the cost of leasing the land low. Remember, if this is a vacant lot, the landowner isn’t benefitting from the land currently. Many garden plots are leased for as little as $1 USD per year. To demonstrate the benefits of the lease to the landowner, say that the community garden will help the whole community and could raise land values. The landowner also won’t need to be responsible for maintaining the property or paying any land-related fees to the government. Negotiate a lease that’s a minimum of one year, but preferably at least three.
The monthly fee for the policy can come out of the garden group’s shared bank account.
Rules could cover the issues of pets being allowed in the garden, littering and vandalism, and/or whether children under 18 will be allowed without adults present.
You can also assess the drainage of the soil by looking for signs of erosion and low spots where water could pool. [12] X Expert Source Ben BarkanGarden & Landscape Designer Expert Interview. 14 April 2020. Most trees, flowers, and vegetables need soil with good drainage. [13] X Research source If the drainage doesn’t need to be adjusted too much, you may just be able to add some compost and well-rotted manure to improve it. For severe drainage issues, you might need to invest in underground piping to remove the excess water. [14] X Research source
Most plants do best in soil with a pH of between 6. 5 and 6. 8. However, some (like blueberries) thrive in acidic soil, and the plants prefer a pH as low as 4. 5. You’ll need to research which plants to grow in your garden based on your soil’s levels. [16] X Research source Generally, nutrient-deficient soil can be improved by adding compost and well-rotted manure. [17] X Research source
When clearing garbage, wear thick gardening gloves. There could be sharp, potentially rusty and germ-filled materials in your lot, and you don’t want to get tetanus!
You can use paint sticks and permanent marker to create plot labels. If they’d like, families can later create more fun and personalized wooden signs.
Installing a sprinkler system with the controller could cost between about $1,800-$3,300 USD. Larger gardens and high-quality systems will both cause prices to fall on the higher end of this range. [21] X Research source It shouldn’t cost more than about $300-$450 USD for a plumber to set up an outdoor water faucet. [22] X Research source
The fence might not completely eliminate vandalism, but you shouldn’t install barbed wire or even a security system. Remember that the garden is part of the community, and you want it to feel open and friendly for all of your neighbors.
You can use hay bales as seats.
Some good vegetables to start with include tomatoes, lettuce, sugar snap peas or green beans, summer squash, and radishes. [26] X Research source A good herb garden should include basil, chives, lavender, parsley, thyme, and rosemary. [27] X Research source Calendula (or pot marigold), marigold, chamomile and daisies, nasturtium, phacelia, and clover are all great companion flowers for vegetables. They’ll attract good bugs (especially bees) and keep away some of the bad ones![28] X Research source
Group members will need to decide how often they’d like to visit their plots. During hot weather, they’ll likely need to stop by each day or at least every other day. In the off-season, they can probably visit just once every week or so. If individual families aren’t taking care of their plots, ask if they’d like a different family to take it over.
You may also want to make one person (such as the president) responsible for visiting the garden at least once per week to check on these shared areas.
You shouldn’t compost diseased plants, meat or milk products, or animal waste. [32] X Research source These could all prevent your compost from producing the good bacteria that you want in there. Use caution when composting weeds. Check to make sure they haven’t developed seeds that could corrupt your compost pile (such as when a yellow dandelion becomes a white puffball). [33] X Research source If you do end up with seeded weeds in your compost, ensure that the pile heats up enough to break them down by turning the compost at least once per week. [34] X Research source
Regular communication will keep the group connected. After all, that’s what a community garden is all about!
Potential topics could include sustainable gardening, pest and weed control, or garden management. You could also contact a local chef to see if they’d be willing to trade some locally grown vegetables for a cooking lesson!
