Building a Brand New Community Garden

The challenge: create a garden that makes a difference in your life and your community, then share it with the readers.

As part of the 2009 “Get It Garden” Challenge, I was invited by a group of gardeners in my city to see the incredible community garden the Warrenville Lakes home owners have organized and built.

What is so special about this garden is that the gardeners live in a small community of townhomes and belong to a homeowners association. Permission to build the gardens did not come easy, but these determined gardeners stuck with it and are now reaping the rewards of their joint effort.

Oft times, homeowner organizations treasure grass more than they treasure the ability for their members to grow their own fresh food. However, in these difficult economic times with many losing jobs and homes, it has become a necessity for our communities to take a different view on how we might support our families. Like the Warrenville Lakes gardeners, I feel more people in our communities nationwide should be working to feed each other and feed the hungry a better diet of fresher, more nutritious food.

I went out at the beginning of their gardening endeavor to see the initial dig, and have returned throughout the season to see progress. It has been amazing for all the gardeners to experience and is an inspiration to homeowner’s associations around the country. My hope is that their efforts will inspire you to do something powerful in your own community.

It is time we helped each other out in this difficult time. Ask your homeowners association, church, synagogue, mosque, place of business, or community center if you can build a garden on their shared property like these people have – and make a difference for your community and the world!

A Salute To Fermilab Garden Club – Businesses CAN Make A Difference For Food Pantry’s and the Feeding of America’s Hungry – Today!