Interested in a community garden plot? Click here to learn more about getting a plot at one of the existing community gardens. Read more below about starting a new community garden.
Why Organize a Community Garden?
If you live in an apartment, condo or home that’s not hospitable to planting, joining a community garden can give you a way to:
- Grow healthy fruits and vegetables while reducing your grocery bill and improving nutrition.
- Spend time with neighbors in the outdoors.
- Contribute to the greening of your community, which improves air quality and optimum use of public lands.
How to Start Your Own Community Garden
- Plan. Start by enlisting neighbors and partners, and get support from the County. Finding a site that’s suitable is also important to making sure your garden is a success.
- Grow. A first step is to check the quality of your soil by testing it with a VCE Soil Test Kit, which will be analyzed by the Virginia Tech Soil Lab. Contact the local VCE office at 703-228-6414 or mgarlalex@gmail.com for information on how to find and use these kits. Choosing the right plants and green gardening practices will also help your garden grow.
- Manage. Create a management plan that shows exactly what’s expected of participants and how the group will manage its resources.