Tips for planning and creating a garden for your community.
Why Create a Community Garden?
Community gardens can support multiple goals:
- fresh produce for individuals and families
- support for a local food bank
- neighborhood beautification
A single community garden can support all of these, but for planning purposes, a set of primary goals should be set. The goals will help determine the size, layout, and content of the garden.
Garden Location
Take into account the site of the community garden. Is it an open green space? A vacant lot? Is it level? Some other considerations are the east/west orientation to the sun from spring through early autumn. You will need a source of water and probably access for delivery of soil and other materials. Are fences required?
Garden Design
There are several designs that can be used for a community garden: in ground, raised bed, and container. One or more of these designs can be utilized, depending on the purpose and space available for your garden.
When planning the community garden, select the options that best fit your needs. Some things to consider include the cost of materials, the size and lay-out of beds, the site, and garden boundaries or fencing. You must also determine whether the garden will be growing food for individuals, families, or the community.
Raised beds will require an investment in materials. Typical raised beds are built with wood. Dimensions should be 1" x 8" or 12" x 4', 6' or 8'. You will also need to allow for a space of 18" to 24" between the beds (more if you want to provide access for handicapped gardeners).
Other border materials for raised beds are stone, cinder block, or you can just create mounds of soil. Mainly, you need to plan for proper soil depth and conservation and access to the garden bed itself. Depending on the site for the community garden, in- ground garden beds may be an option. This type of garden will require tilling the soil, deterring its makeup and pH. As with all gardens, a soil test should be done to give the gardener an understanding of the soil conditions and amendment needs.
What to Grow
For your community garden, you may leave plant selection to individual participants or you may have a larger purpose for your garden.
In planning your garden, you will want to think about the nutritional value of the food that will be produced. Some things to think about are if you will be growing for fresh, seasonal produce, bulk produce to be preserved for year round consumption, or will you want to allocate space for perennial food and non-food items (e.g. berries or flowers)?
If your garden is going to be a food source for families and the community at large, you will need to plan for succession plantings (early and late crops such as broccoli, carrots, radishes, etc.), companion and high density plantings (leaves of mature plants touch, minimal open space).
Harvesting
Before it's time to harvest, you will want to know what you will do with the produce. Some will be consumed fresh, but freezing, drying, and canning not only save money but also allow you to enjoy more flavorful fruits and vegetables long after the gardening season is over.
Maintenance and Care
The individuals and families participating in the community garden will need to recognize that gardening is not a once and done endeavor. From planting to harvest, some level of regular ongoing involvement will be necessary. At a minimum, the garden will require a few hours of care on a weekly basis. From weeding and watering to inspecting the garden for harmful in-sects and diseases, the level of maintenance will vary from week to week.
Organizers of the community garden may want to get some of the participants to serve as mentors for new gardeners or it may be that participants volunteer to become familiar with the various aspects of caring for a garden. One individual or family may offer to serve as the pest control re-source. Another may be tasked with disease identification and control. A few other subject experts could be set for soil conditions (pH, fertilizer needs), tool care and maintenance, obtaining group purchase discounts from local vendors, out reach to increase participation.
Dividing the day to day work of the garden will make the whole project more involving without overburdening a few individuals. It will also help enable agreement on a single solution to shared problems. For example, a discussion of options on how to resolve an insect infestation will take into consideration organic and chemical concerns of all involved. The corrective solution will then be an agreed upon course of action and the discussion of options will be educational for all involved.
Seasonal meetings would be a great idea for community garden participants. Although each individual or family may be responsible for their own garden section, sharing the work and expanding the knowledge base of all involved should be one of the objectives of the community garden. In-creased opportunities for meeting and communication on a subject of common interest should increase the benefits of participation in the community garden.
Summary
A community garden is a long-term commitment. Proper planning, implementation, and ongoing maintenance must all be taken into account in order for it to be successful.
As with any community project, certain objectives, ground rules, and standards should be set. Taking the time to get the garden organized in its purpose, design, and content will not only provide many hours of enjoyment for the participants, but will also give you the ability to measure your level of success.
By starting off with set plans, you will also have a basis for ongoing involvement in annual planning and modifications for improving your community gardening results.
If you have a question about any gardening problem or procedure, call the Penn State Extension Office. We'll be happy to answer your questions.
Happy gardening!
