Glpi Garden Slides

Community Gardens in Parks

Krista BaileyProgram Director

Unity Gardens, Inc.

Community gardens provide gardening and educational Community gardens provide gardening and educational opportunities that help connect people to each other and to the opportunities that help connect people to each other and to the

natural world.natural world.

What is a Community Garden?

Land Gardened By A Group Of People

Community or Individual Plots

Multi-Generational

"Urban Agriculture"

Why Start a Community Garden?

Economic and educational opportunities

Produce nutritious, local, fresh food

Why Start a Community Garden?

Bring together various ages, races, and ethnicities.

For recreation and exercise

Provides a way for residents to take ownership of the land

Why Start a Community Garden?

Bring people outside

Decreases crime

Raises property values

Why Start a Community Garden?

Preserve green space

Create a social networking, meeting and play space

Educational opportunity for all ages

Why Start a Community Garden?

Economic support for neighborhood residents

Community Service Project

Youth entrepreneurial experience

Why Start a Community Garden?

FOOD!!

How to Get Started: Planting the Seed

Initial Meeting

How to Get Started: Planting the Seed

Publicize the event

Garden Land

Lots of sun

Water source

Soil quality

Lighting

Fence

Manageable rubble, debris – if any

Garden Land

Room for parking cars and bikes

Close to neighborhood residents

Accessible by public transit

Availability

Extended community interest

Planning for the Garden

Include an educational component

Liability Insurance

Youth involvement

Tap into existing garden network in area

Gardener Registration and Sign Up

Engage park staff: who will do what (maintenance, chemicals or no, etc.)

Planning for the Garden

Garden Designs

Communal: Gardeners take responsibility for one crop.

Shared work/harvest days.

Shared harvest.

Individual plots an additional possibility (here, single raised beds are in background).

Garden Designs

Neighborhood plot on area green space.

Shared work and harvest creates a source of neighborhood pride and fresh food!

Garden DesignsBonus Features: containers in parking lots, gathering space…

…and a place for the children.

Garden Designs

Combination shared and solo space: Large shared mono-crop with family beds alongside.

Garden DesignsUnity Garden: Open garden concept.

Plant, weed, water, learn, harvest as you can, need, want.

Do it Together!Family days, work days, harvest days (with food!!), volunteer

days, Master Gardener education days…

Plan to Party!

Celebrate with the children

Share the Wealth

Enjoy!

For more information:

American Community Gardening Association

http://www.communitygarden.org

Unity Gardens, Inc.

www.UnityGardensInc.org.

GrowUnityGardens@yahoo.com