How to Grow Together

Steverson says community gardens can be many things: a place of respite for people to spend time outdoors, a production space meant to support a local food pantry, a collection of plots run by individual households. “People really need to think through the vision of what they want a community garden for,” she says.

“Try to be open-minded about where you want to start a garden,” advises Steverson. That vacant lot you saw on your bike ride home, for example, might very well be owned by an LLC and not available. She suggests working with your county extension office—university-based units that offer guidance on agriculture, gardening, and related topics—or your city government to find opportunities. Also consider reviving and improving an existing garden that needs some love and attention. “That’s a much easier entry point,” says Steverson.

Reach out to neighbors, friends, and family, to see who’s interested in joining. At the beginning, build only enough garden beds for the people you know are committed to being involved, and leave some space that you can define later. One bed per member or household is typical. “You don’t have to build 20 beds if you only have 10 confirmed gardeners,” says Steverson. “Grow some cover crops or wildflowers in that space in the meantime.”

“You have to think through how you’re going to water,” says Steverson, including working with your city or county on irrigation. She suggests supplementing irrigation with water-wise techniques such as using ollas (unglazed ceramic pots), wicking beds, and rain barrels.

 
Plant choices matter here, too. Gardening for your climate can lead to variety and discovery. There’s creativity that comes with asking, “What recipe can I make with that?”

“I can’t stress this enough,” says Steverson: “Test your soils for heavy metals.” This is important if you’re growing food, but it’s also about safety in general. You may plan on inviting children to help out or spend time in the garden, for instance. “You need to know if there’s lead in your soil.” Most state universities provide soil testing services for gardeners through their university-based Cooperative Extension Service.

“A lot of times, there are things that one garden might be struggling with that another garden is fantastic at,” says Steverson, who strongly encourages peer-to-peer learning. Assign a leader or gregarious member to facilitate those connections; they can even have a cool title like “networking specialist.” Agricultural extension offices or urban agriculture departments (which are becoming more common) can be great sources of valuable knowledge and advice, as well—not to mention YouTube.

To make gardens more accessible to seniors or those with limited mobility, consider a section of standing-height garden beds, or make some beds with wide stone borders that people can sit on while they dig and plant. Pathways should be wide enough to accommodate walkers and wheelchairs, and materials such as decomposed granite take favor over mulch. Steverson adds that there are often sources of dedicated funding, such as AARP, for those interested in starting senior gardens. Gardening can be a wonderful multigenerational outdoor activity for grandparents and young grandkids to engage in together, and that can easily be realized if you plan for accessibility.

Community gardens help people get outside, and that’s worth celebrating in and of itself. “People are beginning to crave spaces that aren’t just virtual in terms of connectedness, and gardening is something that requires you to be outside,” says Steverson. “There’s a role for everybody in a community garden. Whether you’re volunteering once a year or once a month to help turn a compost bin, that connection with nature is important, as is the connection with people. It’s good for our nervous systems and our anxiety.” She also loves that gardening is something you can start at any point in your life and continue doing for years to come—at whatever level is manageable for you.