How To Start A Community Garden

Step 1: Making a Plan

In the beginning it may seem easier if only one or two people do the major planning. However, it is better for the project to involve as many people as possible at the onset. These early stages of development are an important tool to engage the community; for people to get to know each other; to discover each other's strengths and preferences.

  • Gather 9-12 people who are interested in and committed to starting a community garden.  Look for individuals who are good organizers and enjoy being involved in their communities.
  • You can find people through door knocking, speaking with your friends, giving presentations to community groups, and putting up posters.
  • Create a dream for your garden. Dream big, but start small and build on your successes.
  • Begin choosing potential sites for your garden

 

 

Step 2: Choosing a Site

A good site will be visible, safe, centrally located, readily accessible by foot, car and transit, has the support of neighbours, have full sun exposure and easy access to water.

Consider empty parcels of land within the neighborhood.  For example:

  • businesses with large empty lots
  • institutions: schools, hospitals, seniors’ residences
  • nearby farms or greenhouses
  • churches or community centres

 

Water

You can access water for a site through a number of ways. Consider:

  • A neighbour who can provide water
  • Water barrels that are filled weekly
  • A clay pot and drip irrigation system

 

Water conservation can be an important tool for your garden. Some techniques include:

  • Improving soil structure
  • Mulching
  • Planting mini-climates using bio-intensive garden techniques

 

To determine the water needs for your garden, you can use the following:

Water Needs Calculation Worksheet
(Excel file, courtesy S. Johnson, Terwillegar)

 

Sunlight

A vegetable garden needs a minimum 7 hours a day of sunlight. Optimum exposure to direct sunlight is at least 11 hours, more if possible. Some cool crops may be fine with 4 hours.

While shade is great for sitting areas, they can always  be created using tarps, trellis’ and lean-to's.

 

Soil Quality

Soil is the most important component of your garden. Healthy living soil will make all the difference. Increasing the organic matter (compost, manure, mulch), rather than buying synthetic fertilizers that promise high yields, can improve almost any type of soil.

 

 

Plot Size

The size of each plot is dependent 2 things:

1) the size of the overall site; and 2) the interest and abilities of the gardeners.  For example:

  • 10' x 20' (or 200 sq. ft.) is a good size for growing an adequate supply of summer vegetables. (Bio-intensive gardening may allow for extra, perhaps for the winter or sharing with others.)
  • 5' x 20' is a good size for new gardeners or for gardeners with little time.

 

Plots can be rectangles, circles, curved, and integrated with the overall site plan to create visual interest.

 

Plot Guidelines

If possible, orient plots on a north-south axis to provide maximum exposure to the sun and minimize shading problems.

 

Encourage gardeners to plant with regard to their neighbors. Throughout the planning session, a review should check for possible challenges. Tall plants may create shading problems for neighboring gardeners. Perhaps, a communal plot for the tall, and sprawling plants (like squash) may help to resolve this issue.

 

Communal Areas

Observe crop rotation guidelines in communal areas. Change the location of crops each year to deter pest/disease problems.

  • Reach consensus on what will not be planted. For example, identify noxious weeds (consult your district agriculturist for bylaws on this area)
  • Perennial plantings: Your group may resolve no plantings will be left to over-winter in the individual plots. Therefore, a designated area may have to be created for perennial plants such as herbs, and soft fruits crops.
  • Tall plants and space loving plants: Tall plants such as corn and sunflower may cause shading in neighboring garden plots. Sprawling crops such as squash and cucumber can easily over run areas.

Paths

Paths must be well-defined and main traffic areas should have 4' paths allowing for hoses, wheelbarrows and exuberant children to move around.

  • Minimum 30” paths between gardeners' plots allows for wheelbarrows. Growing plants will overhang the paths in the summer, so while this space seems excessive in spring, it will quickly shrink during the summer.
  • Mulch pathways to allow for access in wetter times.
  • Optional: define the paths with an edging of wood or stone.

Neighbouring landscape

If your site is located in the middle or close to an open field, consider the following:

  • What beautification improvements or maintenance routines can be done to encourage gardeners to want to be on site and to demonstrate to the community how a community garden will beautify the neighborhood?
  • Is chemical spray drift from neighboring fields a possible issue?

 

 

Step 3: Securing the Site

First off, find out who owns the site your group is considering. Is it public or private?

  • Check records at the local municipality's Land Registrar office
  • Public: the City of Edmonton Community Recreation Coordinator (CRC) will be able to help you. Contact us and we can help you make contact with your CRC. (other municipalities: contact the planning department, local councilor, town mayor or town manager)

 

At this point, It’s a good idea to conduct a soil test for nutrient and contaminants on site. Try to get a history of the land usage from the landowner and advise the soil lab of any particular contaminants you suspect may be present.  You also want to get information of the soil texture (which determines the soil's ability to retain water, how it drains, the oxygen content and fertility).  If the site is unevenly graded, then the low areas will hold water no matter the soil texture.

 

Prepare a concise one page description of the project that includes:

  • A definition of your community garden, its mission statement (goals) and purposes (objectives)
  • Names of gardening members
  • What will be grown
  • Maintenance plan
  • Sponsoring agencies and organizations that support your project
  • Names, addresses and telephone numbers of at your organizing committee

 

Speak to the neighbours of the potential site, give them a copy of this information, stress your commitment to maintenance and ask for their letters of support.

With your prepared description and letters of support, schedule a meeting with the owner to discuss your plans.  Once you have verbal confirmation of land use for your garden, you want to draw up a lease agreement of some type.  This written agreement should include:

  • Terms of use/site lease (ie. can vegetables be grown and sold, etc.)
  • Property description and location
  • Utilities (water, power)
  • Site inspection (before and after pictures)
  • Length of lease, termination, modification, and renewal process
  • Rental fees and/or options to purchase
  • Maintenance and insurance
  • Hold harmless clause and Nondiscrimination clause

 

Note: Make sure you take 'before and after' photos of the site!

 

Building a relationship with your landlord can be a great way to sustain the longevity of your garden.  While a garden engages your community, you want to be sure to include your landlord in that process in an ongoing way.  Consider:

  • a monthly report
  • invitation to social activities
  • recognition of the landlord publicly through media, displays, signs, etc.

 

 

Step 4:  Working with the Site

In a community garden, priority is placed on the garden plots. Choose the best area (soil, light, drainage) for the plots. The poorer or secondary areas can be used for non-growing functions such as picnic, shaded and non shaded sitting areas and children's play spaces.

 

 

Step 5: Creating a Base Plan

Prepare a plan, preferably one to scale, showing the exact dimensions of the entire site. Using a scale of ¼” = 1'0” (1:50 metric) draw the basic site outline on paper. Take a physical inventory of the site features, and draw them on tracing paper overlays.

Base your measurements from a fixed point: fence, sidewalk, building, light post, or four markers at each corner of the proposed site.

Taking pictures of the site and using them as a reference, may be helpful for your planners. Pictures can also be shown to professionals, such as a landscape architect living in the community, to get ideas on a particularly troublesome area.

Important features and considerations to note when drawing a base plan:

  • Sun and shade patterns· Existing trees, shrubs, and other plant materials
  • Existing buildings that border the site
  • A vegetable garden needs a minimum 7 hours a day of sunlight. Optimum exposure to direct sunlight is at least 11 hours, more if possible. Some cool crops may do alright on 4 hours.
  • Check patterns throughout the growing season as the sun changes position in the sky.
  • Shade is nice for a sitting area, but shade can always be created using tarps, trellis and lean-to's.
  • Drainage and Changes in elevation (slope)
  • If the site is unevenly graded, then the low areas will hold water no matter the soil texture.
  • Will re-grading the site correct the problem? Possible costs? Can it be utilized for another purpose?
  • Focus the groups' efforts to increasing the organic matter (compost, manure, mulch), rather than in buying synthetic fertilizers that promise high yields.
  • Objectionable views, noises, smells, etc. that need screening
  • Compost area, busy street
  • Desirable views you do not want to block
  • River view, children's play area
  • Wind patterns and direction
  • Existing structures within the site: hydrants, signs, light poles, sidewalks, etc.

 

Building Components to Your Site Plan

A very simple site plan needs to address five major components:

  • the family garden plots
  • common meeting area
  • compost area
  • water storage area
  • tool shed area

Encourage a group 'brainstorming session' for other ideas of how the garden site could look and the services it could offer to the gardeners and the community.

Group questions:

  • If you were sitting in the garden three years from now, what would it look like?
  • What feelings would it create within you
  • What are people doing in it?

Write down every idea, now matter how extravagant or impossible. After everything is listed, put tracing paper over-top the base plan and inventory items. Use cut-out shapes showing the approximate size and shape of the feature you would like to include. Don't bother with the details. Just explore the ideas and possibilities.

Some considerations:

  • Individual plots
  • Communal plots (compost crops, fruit, flowers, perennials, soft fruits, space-greedy and tall plants, sign display bed, etc)
  • Raised beds - wheelchair and seniors accessibility
  • “Grow-a-row” plots
  • Children's garden growing area
  • Children's play area
  • Shady and sunny sitting areas
  • Compost bins
  • Garbage containers
  • Pathways - main and others
  • Water -main source access, localized access throughout site
  • Naturalized area: wetlands area, wildflower - butterfly garden
  • Fencing - deterrent to dogs, people
  • Lighting - evening access
  • Screening objectionable areas - compost area, neighboring industrial site, portable toilet site
  • Border planting for wind breaks, or pollution filtering
  • Signage: Display garden telling who you are and to invite new gardeners, 'thank you' to sponsors
  • First Aid Station