Garden'How+To+Guide'

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Benefits'of'a'Community'Garden'•! Provide quality of life amenity •! Promote community development •! Encourage self-reliance •! Beautify neighborhoods •! Produce nutritious food •! Save money •! Conserve resources •! Reduce crime •! Preserve green space

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How'to'Start'a'Community'Garden'

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Local&City&Garden&

•! Interested individuals or groups should submit an Interest Form to Parks and Recreation Department.

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Who&Can&Start&a&Community&Garden?&

•! Groups of 10 or more people interested in gardening •! Neighborhood Associations •! Classroom Teachers (science labs) •! Senior & Daycare Programs •! Homeschool Networks or Private Schools

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Step+by+Step:'Get'Started''

1.! Get people involved. Survey your neighborhood and create flyers to get at least ten people involved.'

2.! Get people involved. Survey your neighborhood and create flyers to get at least ten people involved.&

3.! Find Land. Look for an empty lot or space that gets plenty of light- at least six to eight hours a day. Ideally that the location already has a fence around it. Identify at least three potential sites.

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4.! Find who owns the land. If you cannot identify who owns the land, take the address to your county’s tax assessor office, for this is public knowledge.

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5.! Find out if proposed cite has water. Ask neighborhood residents, or propose a fee for water. If not available to neighborhood contact the cities water supplies to get a water hydrant. Later find out if the site can hook up with a water meter.

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6.! Contact land owner. See if owner is open to the idea, follow up with a letter to the landowner asking for permission to use property. If available, sign a lease (for 3 years is recommended), with a “hold harmless” waiver.

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7.! Get soil tested. Call city or Pollution control Agency to see if soil is free of toxins or lead.

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8.! Obtain a liability insurance'

9.! Planning Garden. Members should do their homework and create a design before the process begins. Measure the site and make a simple to scale map. Different garden components include –flower beds, compost bins, pathways, arbors, etc.

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10.! Create Garden Budget. Divide between members, and get budgets on the different items needed. Typical budget is between $2500-$5000

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Helpful&Tips&

Community gardens often include: a.! Adequate number of plots assigned to each member, placed in sunniest side of

garden. Raised beds, which should be no more than 4 feet wide and between 8 and 12 feet long. Pathways between beds should be at least 3 to 4 feet wide. The soil in both beds should be filled with aged compost or manure to improve its fertility.

b.! An irrigation system with at least one hose or faucet for every four plots. (Hand watering with a hose is most practical and affordable for individual plots. Drip and soaker hose irrigation can also be used in all areas of garden. If no person in your group has knowledge of irrigation it is advisable to seek help, at landscape contractors or garden center professionals.

c.! Perimeter fencing is advisable to control vandalism and wildlife intrusion. d.! A tool shed to store tools, supplies, and materials. e.! A sign with the garden’s name, sponsors, or contact information.

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11.! Seek grants, asks businesses for money and materials. Develop a donation letter that tells about your project and distribute.

12.! Make sure garden infrastructure is in place. Establish rules, garden application form, garden dues, meetings. Contact city councilperson to see if they can help with city services such as trash clean up.

13.! Start Growing! Cleaning up the site is first needed, schedule community workdays to get this on the road. Install the irrigation system. Plant something! It is recommended to also plan what you want to plant before hand. Look into which vegetables and plants grow well together, how much space is needed for each vegetable, and which vegetables grow well in the area in which you are planting, possibly also planting flowers that can scare pests away from the vegetables. Also, beware of season changes; plant the vegetables that grow in each season.