There’s nothing quite as satisfying as growing your own fresh flowers and vegetables. Especially if you spend most of your day sitting behind a desk, it’s a welcome change to spend some time outdoors, working with your hands and feeling physically connected to the Earth. And although a garden can be a lot of work, it more than pays for itself in delicious lettuce and juicy, homegrown tomatoes that taste far superior to anything you can buy at the supermarket (try it an tell us we’re wrong!)
So what other benefits come from a community garden? Throughout the past 6 years, we have spoken to our awardees and asked them questions just like this – why is this important to you? This is what they said:
- Participants have a better appreciation of their community.
- They learned about what foods were in season and when to eat them
- They learned life skills
- They felt a sense of belonging
- They’re more likely to shop locally
- Improved mental and physical health
- Stimulates Social Interaction
So in short, community gardens are great and every community should have one! If you are thinking of setting one up here are some tips to help you achieve this –
1. Talk to Your Neighbours and you might find that others have interest in this too!
2. Identify Resources – one of these being the #GetIrelandGrowing fund!
3. Find a Site
6. Prepare the Site
7. Establish Rules (This ensures that all gardeners know exactly what’s expected of them)
8. Start Gardening! – we are here to help you the whole way along, check back for a growing guide each month, seeds, advice or just a chat!
For many people, the benefits of community gardening – fresh air and exercise, green space in cities, the chance to build community, and the taste of a ripe tomato you grew – make the effort well worth it.
LETS #GetIrelandGrowing