Setting Up a Community Garden & Indoor Growing Space. Kim Blackwell. Community Gardener, Horticultural Therapist, Community cookery tutor. 1. Why Have a Community Garden? To grow food Grow your own food and save money To eat fresh fruit & veg To eat more healthily To eat organic food To learn how to grow food To teach children about growing/eating healthy food To save money To get more exercise To get more fresh air To meet new people To have fun! To celebrate the seasons To have a nice place to sit and drink a cuppa and read a book or the newspaper To watch wildlife To cook food together To bring community together The most successful gardens are those community led. A garden is nothing without community. 2. Secondly, what is important to include in your community garden? Raised beds Good soil Aspect – 6-8 hours of sun for veg growing Wheelchair access Easy access Seating – lots of seating!
Pop up cafe! Water supply Electricity supply Ground plan – underground cables/previous use of land/ existing structures Polytunnel Security Toilet Somewhere warm to get in out of the elements Tea making facilities. The way forward is tea & cake! A place to cook – BBQ, fire pit, kitchen, camping stoves etc. What better community activity is there to do than sharing a meal together? Socialising space Information/advertising/welcome board Flexible opening times Jobs to do list on a board 1 st aid, fire safety equipment, accident & incidents books, petty cash tin, registration forms, copies of risk assessments and policies etc. filing cabinet etc 1 st aid trained staff/volunteers, also food hygiene trained staff/volunteers Flowers & beauty Sense of peace & loveliness 3 Thirdly, who is going to use the garden & how? How are you going to get folk interested and in through the gate? Unemployed people Working people – think of the open hours of the garden People with disabilities Corporate days – bankers etc. Children Teenagers Retired people People who are interested in gardening and people who are not interested! There are many roles in a community garden. EVERYBODY!
The most successful gardens are those community led. A garden is nothing without community. What do you need in your garden to attract all these people? Get people into the garden by stealth! Community events and let gardening take a back seat. It will happen in good time. Tea & cake! Have a good volunteer coordinator Event organiser Gardener Advertise – welcome people in Run Grow Your Own courses Have lots of information boards so people are all kept up to date. Everyone knows how to compost and where things are kept etc. Lastly, once a community garden has been set up, ask, is there a way to make the garden sustainable? The funding may run out and what then? A strong community in the garden is essential for success.
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