The 12 Step Guide to Starting a Community Garden

Step 1: Get neighbors involved!  

Starting a community garden alone is a daunting task... so get the community involved! A Facebook page dedicated to starting the garden is a great way to get your neighbors involved. If you’re not a Facebook user, you can try similar collaboration methods with Instagram groups, Google hangouts, or even a good ol’ fashioned door to door campaign. Having at least 10 different community members is ideal in order to get the garden project off the ground.  

Step 2: Form a garden club  

Now that you have your team of neighbors, you’ll need to form a “club” to develop a plan and divide the work efficiently. Having monthly meetings where everyone is involved is a great way to make sure everyone will be invested in this garden all the way throughout the design, location, and keeping up with the maintenance.  

Step 3: Find the Location for the Garden  

The next step is to locate a flat vacant lot somewhere in your community with a plethora of sun (at least six to eight hours each day). It should be within walking distance or a short drive for the members of your club for it to be an optimal location.  

It is also imperative to select a few different locations that could work for your community.  When finding these locations be sure to record the exact address and cross streets.  

Step 4: Find out Who Owns the Land 

It is illegal to use land without the owner's permission. The first step in getting permission is to find out who owns the land. 

To do this, you’re going to want to talk with the county’s tax assessor’s office. Here you’ll be able to find information regarding who currently owns the land, and hopefully some contact information. 

Step 5: Find out if Your Proposed Site has Water 

While you're searching for the person that owns the site, contact the water service provider to find out if your potential site(s) have an existing water meter to hook in to. When calling your water service providers, request a “site investigation.”  They’ll need the information you took to the Tax Assessor’s office. 

Having access to water will make a critical difference in the expense of getting your garden up and running. If there has been water service to the site in the past, it’s fairly inexpensive to get a new water meter installed (if one is not already there). However, it might be a little pricier to install a lateral line from the street main to the site and install a new meter if no water service was in the location to begin with.  

Step 6: Contact the Owner  

Once you determine if your location is realistic and feasible, write a letter to the landowner asking permission to use the property for a community garden. Make sure you make it clear to the landowner the value it will bring to the community and that the gardeners will be responsible for maintaining the garden and keeping it clean. This will relieve the sense of responsibility from maintaining the site or paying city weed abatement fees.   

You should attempt to negotiate for 3 years if possible. Many landowners will be worried about any liabilities for injuries that may occur on their land. To prevent this issue, you can include a waiver for every person to sign when they start gardening at the community garden.  

Step 7: Planning the Garden 

Community members should be involved in the planning, designing, and setting up of the garden. Hold two or three garden club meetings to develop a design and a plan. Using visuals like drawings and photos with different garden components such as flower beds, compost bins, and raised garden beds are helpful to make group decisions on how the garden should look.