What is a Community Garden?

Unlike allotments which are plots of land that are worked on by individuals or families, a community garden is all about sharing – both the work and the harvest. Community gardens can have very positive social, economic and environmental impacts in communities.

Community gardens are often created on waste pieces of land that are being dumped in or look unsightly, or on land that isn’t being used. They are ideal places to join if you enjoy gardening with other people, if you feel overwhelmed by gardening on your own, if you live in an apartment or don’t have much space to grow your own food, or only have a couple of hours to spare but want to do something productive outside.

Some community gardens only grow vegetables, some grow vegetables and flowers, some open every day, others for a couple of hours a week. Some gardens only house the one group of gardeners in the community, others might invite several groups in to share the land. They might be postcard sized or a couple of acres. Some community gardens only garden, others include activities such as food cook ups, talks, plays and shows or become environmental hubs.

One thing they all have in common is that every community garden is unique. Take a look at our In Focus posts on the blog to see how different community gardens are being run in Ireland.

Community gardens attract a wide cross-section of people across the entire socio-economic spectrum and include individuals who have little gardening experience as well as those who’ve been gardening for years, making them a great place to learn outside in a natural environment.

Community Food Projects bring people together in local communities of all ages, abilities and social backgrounds, where they share knowledge and interact.

If you’d like to learn more about why people join community gardens, take a look at our benefits page and find out.

 

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