Community Gardens (and tours!) On the Rise

Community gardens come in all shapes and sizes and are as diverse as the people who work in them.

The American Community Gardening Association says a community garden is "any piece of land gardened by a group of people. It can be urban, suburban, or rural. It can grow flowers, vegetables or community. It can be one community plot, or can be many individual plots. It can be at a school, hospital, or in a neighborhood. It can also be a series of plots dedicated to "urban agriculture" where the produce is grown for a market".

Guilford County's 2nd Annual Community Garden Tour proved this point well. On July 22nd, 29 community gardens (up 12 gardens from last year!) were showcased during the tour. This increase in community gardens in Greensboro mirrors that of what is happening across the country as gardens grow in popularity.

I had time to visit three of the gardens on this tour that were all planted in 2010. Each garden was unique in its structure and management system and had its own set of challenges.

The North Yanceyville Community Garden is located at an Episcopal Church and is made of several raised beds that are gardened by individuals. One issue they have had this year is that because the garden is located on a small slope, the soil in the raised beds washes away during hard rains!

The Guilford County Health Department Community Garden has a garden right next to their building and much of the produce will be donated to organizations that feed the hungry. This garden relies on employees donating their time to tend the plants... and so far this method seems to be working well!

The last garden I visited was East White Oak Community Garden. When I arrived the children from the neighborhood were gathered around a small table enjoying some watermelon from a nearby farm. This garden is a beautiful addition to the neighborhood and aims to serve as a learning center for youth.

Here are some additional photos from the community gardens associated with the Sustainable Communities Program grant that show the diversity of community gardens across North Carolina.

Wagram Community Garden (Scotland County)