hi Carrie,
I usually hang out, these days, at Winter Sowing, New Gardeners, Seed Saving, Growing from Seed, Companion Planting and Composting - to name a few.

Gardeners LOVE to talk about their gardens, and
share their plants. May I recommend that you check out some of the other forums for gardening advice - there is a ton of it!

I don't have a community garden, but a nice backyard I am putting beds in - some community gardens have a general building where the community garden sells discount items, some don't.

Just start by saying hello and ask them if it is there first time gardening, ask about their planting,

ask them how they find the soil in your community garden.

It won't be long before you will be comparing growing notes and generally enjoying the whole experience.
I just started to check out more gardening forums out of curiosity and because it is too wet today, in Scotland, to do much else at this moment. (there is always housework!)

Cheers,
McPeg

Thanks McPeg,

I'm somewhat of a regular these days on the soil & perennial forums, and also a visitor to the clematis, hosta, and organic forums, among others. The gardenweb forums are wonderful, and I've gotten lots of good advice and information from the people here. Now that I'll be growing some edibles at the community plot, I'll check out those forums too. I've been at the community plot one week now and it's been wonderful! Nice, friendly, helpful people, and the garden is beautiful.

Hi Carrie - I'm a community gardener in Vancouver, British Columbia. My mom and I share the garden, and my niece and my husband help too. We mostly grow vegetables, but some flowers as well. Our plot is at the Arbutus Victory Garden, which is on land beside a mostly unused railway track. We worked last summer putting in a water line to our plot and five or six other plots. I hope you have lots of fun in your community garden plot. I come to check out this forum quite often, but I notice that not much happens here. Good for you, for getting it started up at bit. Elsie

Hi Carrie,

I am in a situation very similar to yours. I have joined a community garden for the 1st time this year. It will be interesting to hear about your experience. I've got two plots, 20x25 each. I have land around my house, but have opted to join the community garden because of the great number of deer near my house. I haven't met any of the other community gardeners yet. Actually, today will be the first day I will do some work there, although it will be only planning. I will try to decide what goes where. As for information, I am really pleased with the other gardenweb forums - so many people that are knowledgeable and kind. Happy gardening to you!

Hi Sonhadora, and thank you for responding to my post!

I've been at the community garden now for a week and a half. It's been wonderful. Everyone has been very friendly and helpful, full of advice, tips, and even a few free plants! Of course, gardeners love to talk plants, so as long as I'm asking questions, they seem happy to talk. I also participated in a garden clean-up last Saturday, and joined the fundraising and composting committees. I figure if I jump right in and volunteer, that will break down some of the barriers I face as the new kid on the block.

You are so lucky to have so much space in your community garden, what do you plan to grow there? My community plot is about 9' x 17'. My home garden, which is ornamental, is larger (but still a small urban space). I have already planted some veggies and a few flower seedlings and summer bulbs at the community plot. I am very excited (and a little nervous) about my new gardening venture, I think it will be a very rewarding summer.

Good luck to you,

Carrie

Hi again, Carrie,

Glad to know that you are already having fun. My visit to the garden today was really nice. It was during the day, so only one gardener was there. She was very friendly and told me that gardening there last year was very enjoyable. Very encouraging. She had one plot last year, this year she has 2. A person can have up to 4. I noticed that several of the plots are fenced, apparently to keep the deer away. That's my priority now: to get my husband to fence the plots for me this weekend. I also need to get some organic fertilizers to ammend the soil. I started some plants from seeds and have started to harden them today. Here is some of the stuff I am planting: tomatoes, basil, parsley, cilantro, bitter mellon, peas, lettuce, arugula, peppers, snapdragons, cucumbers, globe amaranth, zynnia, cosmos, sunflower.
Take care.

Hi All, I just found this forum. I am participatin in my second "community garden" . The other was over 30 years ago and in the intervening years, I have had space for gardens in my yards. I do enjoy the chatting and sharing of ideas, plants and seeds that seem to be a natural part of the community garden. Think i'll start a thread to get reports on how the various community gardens are going. Beth

Hey Beth,

Welcome!

My aunt lives in Sutton/Palmer AK. I spent a few very fun days on Kodiak back about 10 years ago. Camping out and knocking on doors for one cause or another. It was beautiful and the salmonberries were yummy.

Nice to hear you've got a community garden there.

Carrie

I joined the community garden in my area this year, too. I love it! We have a pot luck dinner the second Tuesday of each month, and a work day the second Saturday. There's a huge composting system, tool shed, wheelbarrows, greenhouse, and plenty of avid gardeners around.

Enjoy!

Carrie-

In an effort to help revitalize this forum, I circulated the website to some folks on the Philly Green listserve, suggesting it as a great way to improve the community gardening dialogue. (I tried to set a good example by posting something today and responding to a few threads.) Hope all is well with your garden, and I hope we see more traffic here!

Laura
Sloan Street Community Garden

I participated for the first time this year in Traverse City, MI. It has been fun. I have clay soil at home and get tired of not being able to go in my garden when it is wet. I built a couple of raised beds and wanted the insurance of knowing that by participating in the community garden near where I work that something would grow. I love vegetables and I am organic. It seems like there is always something I can pick at one of the gardens. My new garden beds have performed wonderful so I guess it all worked out. I fenced my community garden because the deer really liked it. I got a mesh fence 7' high and a 100' long. It just went around it.

Hi! Carrie B,
I wish you were in our area. We volunteer at the Garden Project, which is a community gardens, and a demonstration gardens, so people who have a CG can get some ideas from the DG which has veggies, flowers and herbs. Our problem is that we cannot interested people to volunteer in the Demo Garden. If thy would help a couple of hours it sure would help. We furnish seeds, plants, info, and you name it. They are very lax in keeping there gardens weeded. In the fall during harvest so many do not pick the produce. Does anyone have any ideas? Betty

I'm a farm girl stuck in an urban apartment building! How do I find out if and where there is a community garden plot near me? Who do I contact? What questions do I ask so 'they' know what I'm asking? Thanks!

TRISHA,
HAVE YOU CONTACTED YOUR LOCAL USDA EXTENSION SERVICE, MASTER GARDENERS, ETC,? JUST CALL UP YOUR LOCAL CITIES/ COUNTIES/ COMMUNITY COLLEGES OR UNIVERSITIES?...
ASK THE REFERENCE LIBRARIAN @ YOUR PUBLIC LIBRARY WHAT COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS THEY GET FROM GROUPS FOR POSTING IN THE LOBBY, ETC...
THERE'S A LOT OF GREEN THUMBS FOLKS OUT HERE, BUT THEY ARE POKING AROUND IN THE DIRT, SO ARE NOT VISIBLE!!
GOOD GROWING TO YOU, K

Trisha,

Good independent nurseries in your city/town will know whether there's a community garden, though they may not know details. But Kaygardener gave you the best advice; your county Extension advisor is your best source. Here's the Illinois state Extension website: http://www.extension.uiuc.edu/

What county are you in, by the way? I'm also a former Illinois farm girl transplanted into an urban apartment-- though I didn't think much of the whole farming thing when I was in the middle of it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Illinois Cooperative Extension Service

Back again, two years later. I'm now in a community garden in Fairbanks. About a hundred miles south of the arctic circle. There is a 8 or 9 foot high fence to keep the moose out. The soil is such nice soft dirt and I'm delighted with the whole place. The garden seems to be active and I hope to learn a lot from my neighbors.

I garden at Dowling community garden in Minneapolis. It's 2 blocks from the Mississippi river on school property and it's a beautiful place. If I'm feeling really crabby, I go to the garden and all my cares seem to melt away.

This is my second year with a garden plot. The plot is 20 ft by 20 ft and I spent much of the year building raised beds. It was a lot of work, but it's really paid off this year.

Trisha - - If you are in a large enough urban area where there are neighborhood organizations/groups, try contacting them and asking about if there are community gardens in your area.