Diana - Never apologize for asking questions! As I tell my students, the only stupid question is the one you fail to ask..
Container gardening is a great way to a) grow plants in difficult locations and b) get one's feet wet in gardening without being overwhelmed. The relative portability of containers could allow movement to maximize sunlight or relocation to avoid theft or destruction. Containers (or raised beds) also help resolve issues around contaminated soil, as contaminants such as lead leach down, not up, in the soil. When we're working on a new community garden, our choice of location is usually limited. As long as there's decent sunlight and reasonable access to water, the most critical element is developing a sense of "ownership" within the community. Soil can be amended, water access improved, but the neighborhood has got to feel the garden is a direct benefit in some way. That can be food or flowers, or seeing kids involved in positive activities, or seeing an attractive garden/park where an empty lot used to be. Even if we don't have to, I try to put in raised beds (a container in it's own right, albeit a large, non-portable one!). They help define the spaces, make weeding a less onerous task and allow for more effective soil management, which leads to increased yields. All those points make a volunteer effort much easier. In the garden where we raise produce for Foodshare, we doubled the yield in about two-thirds the space and significantly reduced the weeding issue with raised beds vs. traditional in-ground planting. Sarah Sarah Bailey Master Gardener Program Coordinator Cooperative Extension Service 1800 Asylum Avenue West Hartford, CT 06117 Ph: 860-570-9013 Fax: 860-570-9008 Email: [email protected] -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] on behalf of Diana Liu Sent: Wed 1/7/2009 2:04 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Community_garden] Habitat for Humanity I am just curious, and apologize for the question from a neophyte in gardening. Aside from the human factors, what are some of the criteria should we consider as it relate to the land to have a community garden? I understand that soil, sun exposure, moisture, irrigation are all important factors. For spaces that may not seem ideal, could there be a community garden with container gardening? ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love. - Lao Tzu "Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen." - Winston Churchill ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ --- On Wed, 1/7/09, Fred Conrad <[email protected]> wrote: From: Fred Conrad <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [Community_garden] Habitat for Humanity To: "ellen kirby" <[email protected]>, [email protected] Date: Wednesday, January 7, 2009, 10:10 AM Ellen, I've got friends over at HH Atlanta and I know community gardeners who own traditional HH homes, not in centralized communities. Once HH offered us some "unbuildable" lots, but after some exploration it didn't turn out that we could use any of them for community gardens. Also, we (HHA and my folks) do a joint plant rescue with the Southern Nursery Association Trade Show every year. So I would have heard if they were doing anything like that here. If you find anything interesting off the list, please share it back out! Maybe we could replicate, too. fgc -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of ellen kirby Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2009 12:38 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [Community_garden] Habitat for Humanity Hello, The local Habitat for Humanity organization here in Winston-Salem, North Carolina is hoping to have a community garden as part of their newest building program. Does anyone have experience with Habitat gardens? If you can give me your email I would be happy to communicate directly. Thanks in advance. Ellen Kirby -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://list.communitygarden.org/pipermail/community_garden_list.communi tygarden.org/attachments/20090107/80bcd195/attachment.html> _______________________________________________ The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org To post an e-mail to the list: [email protected] To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.c ommunitygarden.org Confidentiality Notice: The information contained in this e-mail message is legally privileged and confidential information intended only for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any use, dissemination, distribution or copy of this e-mail message and attachments is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please delete it in its entirety. _______________________________________________ The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org To post an e-mail to the list: [email protected] To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://list.communitygarden.org/pipermail/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org/attachments/20090107/a02c63b6/attachment.html> _______________________________________________ The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org To post an e-mail to the list: [email protected] To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org _______________________________________________ The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org To post an e-mail to the list: [email protected] To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org
