Starting A Community Garden
(Originally Written by Edmonton Community Foundation. Adapted for Windsor Essex)
A Community Garden is a group of people coming together to nurture, develop and sustain a growing space in their community. This type of garden reflects the area it serves; engaging, educating, building and strengthening community in a significant way. There are over 15 community garden sites now operating throughout the Windsor Essex region promoting local, organically grown food, healthy and active lifestyles and safer, well taken care of communities.
Step 1: Making a Plan & Engaging Community Support
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.
While building the foundation can be time consuming, a strong foundation makes for a more sustainable garden that can withstand future challenges, adversity, and provide a legacy in your community for years to come.
We, in partnership with your Community Garden Network Coordinator, can help you build your foundation and help you engage your community in the process. We provide sample templates and can come make a presentation to your group to help get you started.
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
- Vacant City or County Lands
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 Community Garden Network Coordinator will be able to help you. Contact us and we can help you make contact with the right people. (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!
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.
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?
