How To Encourage Community Gardening in the City
Yes, gardening in the city is possible!
I’m lucky to have a large yard in a suburban area that allows me to grow flowers and produce. I receive great enjoyment and both physical and mental health benefits from gardening.
Years ago, I started reducing the size of my lawn and making my little part of the world more wildlife-friendly. I even received a Certified Wildlife Habitat from the National Wildlife Federation.
Then I learned about a program in my state of Tennessee focused on lawn care that prioritizes a balance between what people want from their yards and what the environment needs to be healthy. In Tennessee, this is called a ‘smart yard.’
And guess what? Even in the city, you can get your ‘yard’ certified. For example, a balcony got certified as a Tennessee Smart yard. Cool!
Gardening in the City
Even a tiny balcony can attract pollinators and wildlife. And you will be amazed at how many features clever balcony gardeners manage to fit in.
If you are still skeptical about gardening in the city, check out this lovely example from the Chelsea Flower Show, which has added categories for balconies and container gardens.
The Cirrus Garden, designed by Jason Williams
The Cirrus Garden features wildflowers, perennials, herbs, a seating area, a vegetable garden and a fish pond, which is inspired by Jason’s experience of living with an 18th-floor balcony garden. With a focus on biodiversity, it aims to provide a tranquil setting for mental health.
Here is another Chelsea beauty in a small footprint: Alexandra Noble’s Balcony of Blooms.
Two spindle trees provide a sense of enclosure while benches double as raised spaces for pots and hidden storage. A green perimeter of herbs surrounds the balcony. As well as creating a haven for humans, this garden emphasizes environmental considerations with planting that is drought tolerant, beneficial to pollinators or both.
Here are some tips on how to garden in the city if you have access to a balcony:
- Provide food and water sources for birds and insects. One of the balconies above has a fish pond! You can do that, too.
- Wildlife loves a place to shelter, such as small trees and bushes.
- Add pollinator-friendly plants that you and insects can enjoy.
- Try growing food, such as tomatoes and strawberries. You can even create a kitchen garden so you can walk out and ‘shop’ for herbs on your balcony.
- Make yourself a lovely place to take a break and observe the activity in your garden. It is a form of self care.
Consider how much rain your balcony gets. Plants in pots need more regular watering than those in the ground. If you get a lot of sun, use plants that love that. But you also have lots of choices if you only have shade.
Gardening in the City if You Don’t Have a Balcony: a Community Garden
A community garden is a space where people can gather to grow food. They are found in a variety of areas, even in the city.
Community gardens provide many benefits to the community, such as
- improving access to fresh vegetables and fruits,
- providing a place to socialize,
- teaching people about growing food, conservation, and sustainable land use,
- making the neighborhood beautiful, and
- improving physical and mental health.
In Newark, New Jersey a couple decided to transform a vacant lot into a community garden. The result was more than just providing fresh food to families. Learn more in this video (4:14):
Another example of a neat community garden is the community seed exchange in Sebastopol, California. The project started a seed swap and a seed library. But eventually, they needed their own seed because they weren’t getting enough donations from others. So they started a seed garden to get more seeds and educate the community about seed saving. They provide classes on seed-saving, gardening, and pollinator-friendly plants.
All of their seeds are local. They usually have about 184 varieties in their garden and they planted a pollinator-friendly garden border.
But a community garden in the city doesn’t have to be big or focused on seed-saving. Even a small community garden can model sharing, caring for others, and learning.
Link to Other City Gardens
An initiative called the Homegrown National Park is an effort to provide wild spaces with native plants across the country. Linking yards and balconies in urban and suburban areas will make that happen. This grassroots initiative will enhance biodiversity. The Homegrown National Park’s mission is to create a huge network of small gardens across the country. Having so many garden spaces increases the odds of a healthy ecosystem. For example, species can thrive instead of dying out, and they provide resources such as oxygen and clean water back to us.
Learn how to add your garden to the Homegrown National Park.
Gardeners keep ecosystems and seed varieties alive, and even city gardeners can make a difference in the environment.
