The Benefits of Gardening as a Community: Building Connections and Sharing Resources

In the digital age in which we live, it can be hard to get an entire neighborhood to agree on one thing. However, one of the ways in which we can bring all of the people together in our neighborhood is through the power of gardening. 

Creating a garden filled with plants and flowers including fruits and vegetables is something that has been done for generations, and is in serious need of a comeback into commonplace. There are plenty of benefits that communities can get from gardening together, and here are just a few of the best ones.

Camaraderie  

Gardening together as a community can bring together all walks of life and help them bond over similar interests. You may find you and the members of your community have more in common than you think. You can trade knowledge about gardening and share tips to help you nurture your community garden and home garden as well. 

A strong community is one that comes together to help each other out and provide support in areas that are weakened. A fun, useful hobby like gardening is a great activity to introduce to communities in need of growth. 

Fresh Produce For All

The luxury of having a community garden allows those in need to have access to fresh produce. Whether there are community members who are suffering from food insecurity or have never had the chance to indulge in freshly grown produce, it’ll be a welcome change to those who put effort into the community garden and reap the benefits of their hard work.

It seems that more than ever, the world is divided, mostly among the political aisle. However, working together as a community with something like a garden can truly bring people together. When people in need are being helped, it’s a bond that ties everyone. 

Improving Landscape

Not only can your community garden produce deliciously fresh produce and herbs, but it can also be used to plant the most beautiful plants and flowers that improve the scenery within your community. 

A lovely landscape will bring joy to the members of your community and those who are traveling through it. It’s important to take pride in your community and show off the fruits of your labor. There’s something special about an aesthetic for an entire neighborhood, and gardening is the best way to create one.

Health and Useful Hobby

A community garden is a great way to keep everyone busy, focused, and out of trouble. Gardening is a relaxing hobby that brings you down to earth and really helps you to connect with nature, yourself, and those around you. 

It takes a good bit of effort and attention as well, keeping you focused on the process of nurturing plants from seedlings until they’re fully grown. The pride of growing a living organism from start to finish, and doing it with your community, makes for a hobby you can benefit from and be proud of.  

Mental and Physical Wellness

The closer we are to nature, the closer we grow to our inner selves and those around us. Gardening is a useful way to calm your mind and positively influence your mental health. Doing it as a community adds a sense of togetherness and support you wouldn’t get otherwise. Gardening as a community also promotes physical wellness. 

The amount of movement and effort it takes to tend to the plants and landscape, especially if it’s a larger community garden, adds up over time. It gets your blood pumping, is good for your heart, and allows you to soak up the beautiful days of vitamin D from the sun. 

Cleaner Environment

When you and your community get involved in a project such as gardening, more love and care for the environment around you is sure to follow. Having a garden to tend to and really becoming one with nature and your community will help you realize how important it is to take care of your environment as a whole. 

Once the ball gets rolling on a community garden, people are going to want to take care of it, even if they aren’t gardeners themselves. Studies have shown that neighborhoods with community gardens are often cleaner in general with a massive reduction in litter as more people take pride in cleanliness.