A New Texas Community Garden
Old and young. Experienced or novice. We all gain by gardening together while embracing the past.
I wander barefoot through the garden, the grass damp under my winter-soft feet—a mockingbird calls from the electric pole in the corner of the yard. I twist a ripe tomato from the vine, smelling the essence of tomato leaves. Biting into it, juice trickles down my chin, and I am happy. So happy. I remember planting that plant way back in January, nurturing it for months, for just this reward.
This is why I garden. And why I love to encourage others to grow food, too.
Like many others, I live in an apartment and have nowhere to garden. There’s no community garden in my small town, so I’ve been looking for a place to start one for a year.
I love sharing my joy of gardening, and sadly, I meet many disillusioned gardeners. So many people try unsuccessfully to grow vegetables only to have them consumed by pests and disease. Lots of folks don’t even know the first steps of gardening and it’s not easy to learn on your own.
Community gardens are part of the answer to growing nutritious, hyper-local food. Not only do they provide a location to garden, but there’s also usually a mixture of newbies and experienced growers ready to share helpful tips.
Community gardens in the U.S. are growing faster than ever. The number of garden plots in city parks has increased 44% since we started keeping track in 2012. Today there are more than 29,000 garden plots in city parks in just the 100 largest U.S. cities — up 22% from just a year ago.—The Trust for Public Lands reported in 2018
Gardening is up 25% in just the last year. One in three American families is trying to grow some of their food. The opportunity is now to create more gardens.
The old homestead family would be happy.
Finally, I found a location willing to share their property. The Dr. Pound Historical Farmstead property was donated to the City of Dripping Springs, Texas, and is now managed by a private foundation.
I imagine Dr. and Mrs. Pound would be proud that the old homestead will again produce food for the residents of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Not only can will the project provide gardening space, but we hope to include gardens highlighting medicinal herbs and native plants used in the mid-1800s and a kitchen garden with heirloom Texas vegetables. The historic farmstead is already a valuable historical and educational asset to the community, and I’m so happy to be working with the Board and staff to forge new connections.
Luckily, the property already has a deer-proof fence, but there is plenty of physical work to do. Volunteers will build raised beds, haul topsoil and compost, and install the irrigation system.
Equally important will be coordinating the work, the gardening, and the community connections.
I’ve got experience growing vegetables but not a Community Garden.
So, I’ve been studying what other people are doing around the country and searching for information.
Start a Community Food Garden- The Essential Handbook by LaManda Joy is invaluable. The author founded the Peterson Garden Project in 2010 and compiled her years of experience into this complete guide.
The Peterson Garden Project is a 501c3 Chicago-based nonprofit whose mission is: To recruit, educate and inspire everyone (seriously) to grow their own food. We change lives, families, and communities in the process. Grow with us!
Impressive Community Gardens around the U.S.
Alemany Farm: “The largest urban farm in San Francisco, Alemany Farm offers everyone the chance to learn where their food comes from, pitch in to help, and take home fresh produce for free!”
Shiloh Field: “We are all about feeding hungry people. Farm-to-table food for the hungry in Denton, Texas.”
Fenway Victory Gardens: “Its purpose is to maintain and encourage urban gardening in the Victory Gardens for the benefit of all the people of the City of Boston, providing a chance to work outdoors, enjoy green space, and work with nature.”
Rio Grande Farm: “Our mission is to connect people, earth, water, and wildlife in an urban setting by farming sustainably, enhancing wildlife habitat, educating our community, and providing fresh, naturally grown food to diverse populations.”
Wasatch Community Gardens: “We envision a community where everyone values and has access to growing and eating healthy + delicious food.”
Many of these wonderful projects share their resources, including the downloadable 67-page guide: From Neglected Parcels to Community Gardens: A Handbook.
I look forward to sharing the progress of this project in future articles.
You can sign up for the Dr. Pound Farmstead newsletter or my updates here.
I’d love to hear about your Community Garden experience or if you’re interested in starting one in your area.
Graphic by the author. Inspired by an example in Start a Community Food Garden