Very Simply, it is:

Any piece of land gardened by a group of people for the benefit of the group and the wider community – so the emphasis is the community and group aspect.

Community Gardens provide open space, a place to grow organic food, healing centres for people with mental and physical disabilities, as well as creating opportunities for recreation, exercise, therapy and education. Community gardens are an immensely valuable resource to neighbourhoods and can transform contested or underused space.

What is a Community Garden?

Community gardens are ideal for individuals who live in flats or homes that don’t provide enough space for personal gardens or those who have a bit of a garden but have no idea how to begin to grow food in it. It is also a wonderful way of revitalising a downtrodden section of a neighborhood, like a vacant site or contested space. Getting involved in a gardening community allows individuals who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to grow their own plants and vegetables to do so.

Community gardens may differ from area to area. Some may solely grow flowers while others grow vegetables, or a combination of the two. The common thread, however, is that community gardens are actively maintained by the gardeners themselves.

According to the research carried out by American Community Gardening Association (ACGA), the benefits of community gardening are not just limited to growing and eating your own produce. Many other factors come into play, such as enhanced social interaction, improved quality of life, neighborhood beautification, lower family food budgets, conservation, better eating habits, even crim