Published on 07/16/18

Make the most of your community garden through event planning

By Becky Griffin

A community garden is much more than raised beds and vegetables. The garden builds a sense of community, and it should be an asset to the wider neighborhood.

At its best, a community garden engages gardeners and nongardeners, which ensures a long lifespan for the garden and wide public support. If you manage a community garden, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension offers these tips to help your garden reach its full potential.

Create an event to honor local public service personnel, like emergency medical service (EMS), fire and police personnel. Provide a few fresh vegetables or serve garden-themed snacks as these important community members tour your garden. Honor these public servants and let them know how your garden actually serves the space and surrounding community. Police may keep an eye out for theft and vandalism, and EMS personnel will know the location of the garden in case of an emergency.

Host an evening of arts in the garden. Many small towns have community theater groups or hometown artists. Station artists and their work around the garden. Have local actors perform short monologues to promote their theatrical works.

Add a garden stop if the neighborhood has a spring tour of homes. This could be a wonderful opportunity to share the story of your garden.

Get involved in your area’s fall festival. Host a scarecrow contest or a pumpkin-carving demonstration. October is a beautiful time in the garden. The weather is cooler and the cool-season crops are at their best.

Consider adding a story time in the garden during the summer months. Local school-age children may enjoy being in your garden for a book reading. There are many garden-themed books available, and your local schools will appreciate your efforts as well.

Host educational events for gardeners and the general public. Everyone likes to learn how to better grow tomatoes or what vegetables to plant in the fall. Contact your local UGA Extension agent or one of your county’s Master Gardener Extension Volunteers about teaching a class.

Finally, what makes your community unique? Do you have an unusual town name? Is your area known for something special? The town of Crabapple, Georgia, could host a crabapple preserves workshop. The city of Canton, Georgia, was founded to create a silkworm industry. Host an evening of insects in the garden and tie the history of the area to the garden to make a fun, educational event.

To help ensure a long life for your garden, make your garden visible to people outside of your group of gardeners. Neighbors need to know what a dynamic space it is. Community members outside the group of gardeners could be a source of support. Be creative and help your garden reach its potential.

Consider these ideas from UGA Extension to create a more vibrant community garden. If you want to start a community garden, review the valuable resources at the Georgia Center for Urban Agriculture before you pick up a hoe, buy a pack of seeds or pick out a garden spot. Visit www.ugaurbanag.com/gardens/garden-resources/.

Becky Griffin is a community and school garden coordinator with UGA Extension.

Authors:

Becky Griffin

Experts/Sources:

Becky Griffin

Events, like this Halloween celebration at the Healthy Life Community Garden in Griffin, Georgia, bring the public into community gardens. To help ensure a garden's long lifespan, it must be visible to people outside the group of garden supporters, says University of Georgia community garden expert Becky Griffin.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.

Download Image

CAES News

UGA Extension supports resilience in Georgia farm communities after Hurricane Helene 12/19/24 Emily Cabrera

Hurricane Helene wrought sweeping devastation across Georgia’s agricultural sector in late September, leaving an indelible mark on both the land and the people who tend it, bringing focus to vulnerabilities in Georgia’s farming industry and the need for more robust safety nets. In addition to the physical destruction, the hurricane took an emotional toll on Georgia’s farmers. In response, UGA Extension has prioritized mental health support.

University of Georgia startup CytoNest Inc. released its first commercial product this year, a fiber scaffold that optimizes cell manufacturing and tissue engineering. (Photo by Lauren Corcino)

CAES News

UGA again ranks No. 1 in new research-based products 11/04/24 Brandon Ward

The University of Georgia once again ranks No. 1 among U.S. universities for the number of commercial products to market based on its research, according to an annual survey conducted by AUTM. For nine straight years, UGA has placed in the top two and has never appeared out of the Top 5 in the 11 years the survey has been reported by AUTM. UGA industry partners and startups released a record 66 new products developed from the university’s research in fiscal year 2023, on which the AUTM report is based.

Combining data collection and analysis with plant pathology, precision agriculture and robotics, the UGA team will build a photographic library of the foliar symptoms caused by onion diseases and other physiological disorders, feed them into the AI software, and use machine learning to identify the diseases based on pattern and color recognition from the images.

CAES News

UGA uses AI, robotics to improve Georgia’s Vidalia sweet onion crop 10/23/24 Jordan Powers

A multidisciplinary team of UGA researchers aims to enhance the competitiveness of Vidalia onion growers in Georgia by providing them with the ability to confidently detect onion diseases early, enabling them to make management decisions on their crop at a critical time. These abilities, researchers say, should result in increased yield and quality of marketable onions and an overall increase in efficiency and productivity.

Associate Professor Rhuanito Ferrarezi poses with a Gerber daisy grown by students in his 4050/6050 Greenhouse Management class in fall 2023.

CAES News

Upcoming UGA plant sales bring color to fall 10/15/24 Maria M. Lameiras

Fall weather means fall gardening, and several groups at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences will be offering the fruits of their labors at ornamental plant sales across campus this semester. On Friday, Oct. 18, the Trial Gardens at University of Georgia will hold its annual Fall Houseplant Sale, and on Wednesday, Nov. 20, greenhouse management students will offer their ornamental plant sale at the South Milledge Greenhouse Complex.

CAES News

Gavin Shytle changes the game with UGA Grounds Crew 10/01/24

It’s a special moment to step inside Sanford Stadium and walk across that sprawling green field between the hedges. While the grass beneath your feet may not always be your first thought at the Freshman Welcome or Commencement, it is for Gavin Shytle. Keeping the turf safe, healthy, and aesthetically pleasing is the sworn duty of Shytle and his fellow turfgrass management majors. Before athletes even hit the ground running, he makes sure the ground is prepped for them.

Although it may not fit the traditional image of a well-kept lawn, this landscape is the result of careful planning and a deep commitment to ecological stewardship.

CAES News

Done with mowing? How to transform your lawn into a native, perennial landscape 09/12/24 Emily Cabrera

On a tour of her Blairsville, Georgia, home, Becky Griffin navigates a swaying maze of perennial grasses interspersed with pussy willows, switchgrass and boneset. Although it may not fit the traditional image of a well-kept lawn, this landscape is the result of careful planning and a deep commitment to ecological stewardship. As a native plant enthusiast and coordinator of the Great Southeast Pollinator Census, Griffin hand-selected each of these native plants for the countless ecological services they provide year-round.