Learn how to start your own community garden!
- Garden profiles from communities around the world, like Sunnyfields Community Garden in Australia, the Philadelphia Orchard Project, and Brook Park Chickens in the Bronx
- Community-supported agriculture (CSAs), shared plots, individual plots, orchards, rooftop gardens, movable gardens, and more
- Starting from scratch including gathering a team, navigating the legalities, securing funds, and getting the whole family involved
- Organizing events such as seed swaps and workshops, to raise awareness of and draw participants to your community garden
- Planning a layout, irrigation system, division of plants, and more for your selected site
- Season-by-season schedule of tasks to complete to maximize growing and harvesting and maintain the garden in the off-season
- Plant directory with detailed descriptions of suggested flowers, fruits, vegetables, herbs, and more that will thrive in a community-garden setting
Community gardens are "cropping" up all over, allowing neighbors to work together, grow together, and reap the delicious rewards of their labor together!
As more and more people become interested in getting back to nature and growing their own food, the community-gardening movement is exploding in popularity, giving city and suburban dwellers an opportunity to try out their green thumbs. As neighbors come together to get their hands dirty in the name of beautifying public spaces and taking steps toward more sustainable living, camaraderie is blossoming, and knowledge is growing right along with the flowers, fruits, and vegetables. This 144-page, colorfully illustrated guide to community gardening offers comprehensive planning and planting advice to those looking to start a garden in the community, as well as to those interested in joining an existing garden.
With this useful guide, horticulture and community-supported agriculture (CSA) specialist Ben Raskin shares his expertise and experience with those interested in community gardens. Inside this book, you'll explore different approaches to community gardens, with profiles of different types from around the world, including community-supported agriculture, shared plots, individual plots, orchards, rooftop gardens, movable gardens, and more. Get inspired by the Gemeinschaftsgärten of Germany, the Kartori City CSA in Japan, Annechien Meier's "garden on wheels" in The Netherlands, Incredible Edible in the UK, and more.
Learn how to get the whole family involved in the community's gardening efforts and start a community garden from scratch, including gathering a team, brainstorming, navigating the legalities, securing funds, and breaking ground; the essentials for successful growing, like site locations, soil health, watering techniques, and more; how to organize fun community events like seed swaps and workshops to raise awareness of and draw participants to community gardens; how to select a site and plan the garden's layout, irrigation system, and division of plots; and more.
A helpful season-by-season schedule is provided, laying out important tasks to maximize growing and harvesting and maintain your community garden in the off-season. Finally, you'll find a plant directory featuring detailed descriptions of dozens of plants, bushes, flowers, trees, fruits, vegetables, and herbs—including tomatoes, rosemary, apples, blackberries, corn, squash, potatoes, salad greens, kale, carrots, and more—that will thrive in a community-garden setting, plus growing, tending, and harvesting tips for each.
Get started with community gardening, whether you want to join an existing one or start your own, with The Community Garden Handbook!
Ben Raskin is the head of horticulture at the Soil Association in the UK. He launched the Soil Association's flagship Organic Apprenticeship Scheme in 2007. He helped to set up and run The Community Farm near Bristol, UK and is on the board of the Community Supported Agriculture Network UK.
