When you look at the price of food today, you might consider the value of growing your own. But a garden can do more than save you money on groceries. You can also avoid pesticides, insecticides, and GMOs by growing your own produce — not to mention the environmental benefits of locally grown food.
However, many people don’t have yards large enough — or any yard at all — to support a vegetable garden. The good news is there are ways you can grow a garden larger than your own yard — or apartment balcony. One of those ways is to join a community garden. In a community garden, a group of people comes together to grow food on a plot of land. This land is usually either owned by one of the community garden members or leased for use by the city.
It’s usually quite affordable to get your own plot in the community garden. If there’s one in your area, it’s a great way to reap the rewards of gardening when you have no space at home. But if there isn’t an established community garden in your area, why not start one yourself? Here are some ideas to help you establish a community garden in your neighborhood.
Connect With Community Leaders
One of the first things you need to do is to seek support from your community’s leaders. It’s possible there may be an unused plot of land they can approve for community gardening use once they understand the benefits to the community. The support of a community leader can also help make your project a reality faster.
Identify Potential Members
Start spreading the word within the community that you’d like to establish a collaborative garden. It’s important to make sure there is enough interest to make the community garden sustainable. When you find a few key people who are interested, they can help you spread the word through their networks to help find more members and perhaps secure the land plot.
This is a good time to start talking about what kind of community garden you want. Will each member have an individual plot that they tend or will everyone work together in a cooperative garden? What will each member pay and who will collect dues? What will each member’s responsibility be in the maintenance of the garden?
Secure Land Use Permissions
While you seek a location for the garden, it’s important to consider whether the land will be private or publicly owned. If you’re lucky, a private owner may provide a lease in exchange for a plot in the garden. However, you can also try and secure the rights to unused public land. The city may be willing to lease unused public land at an affordable rate if they see the value to the community. When you get permission to use a plot of land, make sure you have a lease or contract in place so you don’t lose use rights mid-season.
Other important considerations before you sign the lease:
- Does the location have access to clean water?
- Is the soil healthy or will you need to bring in new soil?
- Does the site get enough sunlight?
Create the Garden Design Plan
Once you have secured the land use rights, you will need to design the layout of the garden. How the garden is laid out will depend on your preferred model: individual plots or a cooperative model. You’ll need to decide:
- Who will prepare the land for gardening
- Whether you need to fence the perimeter
- How big the plots (if individual plots) or the beds (if cooperative) will be
- The layout of the plots/beds within the garden
- Whether you will designate a common area for shared resources or meetings
- Where the paths will go so members can easily access water without disturbing plantings
Survey the potential members so you can make sure the layout works for everyone’s needs.
Reap the Rewards
Starting a community garden is not an overnight project. It requires careful planning and a strong community of dedicated members to make it work. But once you have made the plans, secured community support, acquired and prepared the land, ensured water access, and all the other bits and pieces, take a moment to enjoy your hard work. You’ve done more than set up a garden where you can grow healthy food. You’ve established a place where neighbors can meet, share knowledge, and create community.
Websites to Find and Join Community Gardens
National & Regional Organizations
American Community Gardening Association (ACGA) – https://www.communitygarden.org/
National directory with interactive map of community gardens across the US and Canada
ACGA Garden Map – https://www.communitygarden.org/garden
Searchable map tool to find gardens by location with detailed information
USDA People’s Garden Initiative – https://www.usda.gov/peoples-garden
Federal resources for community gardening with national network connections
Northeast
Boston Community Garden Directory – https://www.boston.gov/departments/growboston/community-garden-and-urban-farm-directory
Official Boston city directory with 175+ gardens
Washington DC Parks & Recreation Community Gardens – https://dpr.dc.gov/page/community-gardens
DC’s official community garden directory and contact information
New York GreenThumb – https://www.nyc.gov/html/dpr/html/greenthumb.html
NYC’s community garden program with 550+ gardens
Boston Community Garden Directory – https://www.boston.gov/departments/growboston/community-garden-and-urban-farm-directory
175 community gardens across 11 neighborhoods
Philadelphia Community Gardens – https://www.phila.gov/programs/farmphilly/gardening/#community-gardens-network
Philadelphia Parks & Recreation garden listing
Vermont Garden Network – https://vtgardens.org/
Supports 370+ community and school gardens across Vermont
Grow Pittsburgh – https://www.growpittsburgh.org/
Interactive urban garden map for Pittsburgh area gardens
Gather New Haven Community Gardens – https://gathernewhaven.org/our-programs/community-gardens/
Supports 40+ community gardens throughout New Haven
West Coast
Seattle P-Patch Program – https://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/p-patch-gardening
An extensive network of 88+ community gardens
Los Angeles Community Garden Council – https://www.lagardencouncil.org/
Directory of LA community gardens with membership information
Denver Urban Gardens (DUG) – https://dug.org/
Network of 200+ community gardens across metro Denver
San Francisco Recreation & Parks Community Gardens – https://sfrecpark.org/facilities/facility/details/Community-Gardens-146
35+ city-managed community gardens
Portland Community Gardens – https://www.portlandoregon.gov/parks/39846
Portland Parks & Recreation community garden listings
Midwest
Chicago Urban Agriculture Mapping Project – https://cuamp.org/
Maps and resources for Chicago area gardens
Illinois Extension Community Gardens – https://extension.illinois.edu/community-gardens
Resources for Illinois community gardening
Austin Community Gardens – https://www.austintexas.gov/department/community-gardens-program
Austin’s community garden program and locations
Minneapolis Community Gardens – https://www.minneapolisparks.org/activities__events/gardens_nature/community_gardens/
Minneapolis Parks community garden directory
Southeast
Richmond Grows Gardens – https://www.richmondgrowsgardens.org/
Network of 24+ community gardens across Richmond city
North Carolina Community Garden Partners (NCCGP) – https://nccommunitygardens.ces.ncsu.edu/
Statewide network directory with interactive map
Coalition of Community Gardens (West Central Florida) – https://coalitionofcommunitygardens.org/
Network of 60+ community gardens across 5 counties in West Central Florida
Specialty Organizations
Slow Food USA Community Gardens – https://slowfoodusa.org/network/chapters/
Slow Food’s garden-to-table community connections
Urban Agriculture Network – https://ruaf.org/
International urban agriculture and community garden resources
Food and Agriculture Organization Community Gardens – http://www.fao.org/urban-agriculture/en/
UN FAO urban agriculture and community garden resources
How to Use These Resources
Getting Started:
- Begin with your local city or state listings
- Contact garden coordinators directly via email
- Visit gardens during open hours to meet members
- Join waiting lists early as popular gardens often have queues
- Attend community meetings and volunteer workdays
What to Expect:
- Annual fees typically range from $15-$75
- Plot sizes usually 10’×15′ to 20’×20′
- Most gardens require volunteer hours
- Water access and basic tools often provided
- Organic gardening practices commonly required
Tips for Success:
- Visit multiple gardens before committing
- Ask about garden rules and community culture
- Check if the garden fits your schedule and accessibility needs
- Consider starting with a smaller plot if you’re a beginner
- Connect with experienced gardeners for mentorship
Editor’s Note: Originally published on February 27, 2015, this article was updated in June 2025. Feature image courtesy of Craig Dietrich.