Wednesday, September 07, 2011

Community Gardens


As the vegetable gardening season starts to wind down, I stopped by a local community garden. I am interested in what goes right and wrong with in community gardens - the personal stories. Right now I have more questions than answers. I would like to share the answers with officials and other gardeners.
Here are a few of the questions:

· Was there adequate communication among gardeners?

· Were the rules understood and followed by all the gardeners?

· Did you have enough time to spend in the garden?

· Were you physically able to do the work required?

· Was water accessible? Mulch? Compost?

· Were tools available?

· What made your experience with community gardening a success or failure?

· Did you use a Master Gardener to educate gardeners on subjects such as: planting, plant choices, propagation, weed identification, fertilization, soils, compost, mulch, etc.?
If you have any experience with or opinion about community gardens or can answer any of the questions, please leave a comment. I will be very grateful for any information.

More information on Community Gardens from ACGA http://communitygarden.org/learn/ and SUN*LV http://sunlv.org/

4 comments:

donna said...

I have a blogger friend in Louisville, KY who participates in a community garden. She's one of my favorite bloggers. You can find her at http://www.urbanlittlehouse.blogspot.com She doesn't blog about gardening, but I think you'd like her. Don't know how to put the link in here so that you could just click on it. Sorry.

Regarding one of your questions...Were the rules understood and followed by all the gardeners? I'd be willing to bet the answer to that is NO.

I've never stopped at a community garden to just look around, but that appeals to me. I may do it some day.

donna

Marie said...

Thanks Donna,

I checked Urban Little House blog. She has some very positive things to say about a 14 year old community garden. Thanks for sharing the link. I'll add it to my information.

We have had days and days of rain - small stream and river flooding - streets impassable. Fortunately, we are all OK on our little hill but has not done much good for local community gardens.

bookworm said...

My spouse (with some help from me) has been community gardening (Binghmaton, NY) for almost 20 years. We could write a book about it- from the joy of having a fellow gardener offer us surplus plants to the people who plant the plots then never come back, and the garden grows up in total weeds.

Marie said...

Bookworm,
I've been hearing the same sort of stories from Community Gardeners in my area. The people who keep at it always mention the connection and help other gardeners as a definite benefit. Thanks for your comment.

P.S. I was unable to leave a comment on your bloomday post. The floods in upstate New York are devistating. Your lovely blooms are a sign of hope.