There’s nothing quite as satisfying as growing your own food. Perhaps the only thing that’s even better is growing it with your neighbors. Community gardening is a way to meet people, save money on groceries and eat healthy food grown right in your neighborhood.
Community gardening is a great way to help your local community, and it’s also an excellent way to make new friends. You can meet people who share similar interests, or just get out in nature while working on a common goal together. Buying from the local market gets expensive very quickly, so growing food for yourself could save you a lot of money.
Sharing Together
One benefit of community gardening is that you get to know all the other gardeners in your area. You can make plans with them, have family picnics together, and build a social network together. Everyone gets to share their tips about which crops grow best and when to plant them. This helps everyone grow more food in less time. For people who have little or no experience with gardening, the more knowledgeable neighbors are there to help.
The best part about getting started is that there are countless resources for community gardeners. You can find seeds and seedlings at the local nursery, or you might have someone who grows food in their own garden who would be willing to share some. Your local government may even have land available for a community garden, so check with your local government office to see what you can find.
Getting Started
Once you’ve found a good spot, all you need is some soil, compost and mulch. You can make your compost using food scraps and yard trimmings to get the best results. And it shouldn’t take much work to make your own compost pile; any small area of land will do.
To plant your garden, build up the soil with some compost and mulch. Then get your seeds or seedlings from your local nursery or farmer’s market. The best crops for a community garden are ones that will grow well in pots so that you can keep them indoors during the winter. Some good choices include tomatoes, peppers, melons and herbs.
The Big Fruits of Laboring Together
The magical thing about a community garden is how small changes make a big difference. If everyone in your community joins in, it will be a lot easier to grow a healthy bounty. And as you grow your food, you get to spend time outside in the fresh air, with friends and family. What could be a better way to spend your free time than that?
