On a cool spring saturday morning in Chicago, when many residents are huddled over a cup of coffee and the paper, Susan Ask, an ecologist, heads out her door armed with gardener’s gloves and a trowel.

Between April and November, Ask lends her gardening skills to Ginkgo Organic Gardens, a community garden set in a once abandoned lot in an uptown neighborhood. There she spends several hours each week weeding, watering, and picking fresh organic produce that will be donated to a neighborhood food pantry that serves low-income people who have AIDS.

“I enjoy living in the city, but since I don’t have my own backyard, volunteering at the garden gives me the opportunity to work outside,” Ask says. “Ginkgo is my weekly retreat. I can get my hands dirty, and it’s a great chance to socialize. I moved here last year and wanted to meet new people. I’ve made friends with many of the regulars at the garden. It’s an opportunity to interact with folks from all walks of life.”

Growing trend
Founded 12 years ago by local residents, Ginkgo is one of an estimated 18,000 community gardens in North America, from produce plots in major metropolitan areas to children’s hands-on horticulture projects in small towns.

Three of the more common community gardens types include cooperative gardens, where individuals care for their own plot within a garden and typically eat or sell the produce; learning gardens, where children, seniors, or other community members receive horticulture training; and charity-based community gardens, such as Ginkgo, usually run by residents hoping to beautify a run-down area and benefit a community or charity.

“Many gardens serve multiple purposes. For example, you may have a charity-based garden, like Ginkgo, where the garden is tended by volunteers for the benefit of others,” says Amy Klein, executive director of Capital District Community Gardens in Troy, New York. “Some gardens may be mostly ornamental or botanical, while others are focused on produce, and others are a mix. Some may not fit in any particular category.”

While the structures and goals may differ, each has a common link: people uniting to create a garden for the good of the place in which they live. “Community gardens have a powerful impact, both on the neighborhoods they serve and the volunteers who keep them running,” says Stephanie Cohen, author of The Perennial Gardener’s Design Primer. “City and state officials know that—which is why we’re seeing so much financial and educational support for green spaces across the country. There’s never been a better time to build a community garden.”

Whether you want to create a bountiful place of solitude in your city or a small vegetable patch at a local assisted living facility, knowledge about gardening isn’t a prerequisite, and don’t let a lack of experience deter you. “Many of our volunteers have no gardening skills when they begin,” says Tim Iteen, who helps coordinate volunteer efforts at Ginkgo. “The training is hands-on—you learn from other volunteers. Or, if you’re starting a new garden, resources like master gardening groups at local universities can provide how-to information. All it takes is interest and a few hours of time each week.”