Community gardens are a great way to bring homeowners together for the benefit of the entire neighborhood.  Participation in starting and maintaining a garden can help transform residents into a united community.

Gardening gets neighbors out into the fresh air, provides relaxation and adds positive energy to the area. A community garden can consist of anything the residents want to grow, such as:

• vegetables
• fruit
• flowers
• shrubs

While having an established community garden helps the environment and unites the neighborhood homeowners, it could also increase the interest of people driving through the area who may want to become part of a community that’s committed to working together in harmony.

A garden instills a cohesive sense of community, however, there are other benefits that can be attributed to having a community garden:

• Improves access to nutritious food.
• Promotes outdoor physical activity that can help improve overall health.
• Delivers opportunities to practice teamwork.
• Relieves stress and could help prevent burn out.
• Provides an educational atmosphere to learn more about caring for planted items.
• Offers a place to build relationships and network among neighbors.
• Allows more contact with nature.

The maintenance of a community garden requires a strong commitment from neighborhood residents. That’s important because it’s the homeowners who are responsible for the success of how their community garden will grow and flourish.

Band together and connect with the homeowners in your neighborhood to start a community garden. The National Garden Association provides tips, tutorials, resources, and a database full of information for gardening food and plants.