The work of a community gardener is never done, but don’t fear: GreenNet offers support and strategies for maintaining a garden. Among the many resources available, we recommend:
- Openlands’ Season-by-Season Guide for Planting and Maintaining Your Garden
- The American Community Gardening Association’s resource page. Covers everything from community organizing to seed saving.
- Gardening Matters in the Twin Cities. Maintains a wonderfully comprehensive list of useful how-to guides.
- Green Pages
GreenNet’s guide to resources for community gardeners in and around Chicago. We understand that the needs of a community garden are different than those of a home gardener. - Green & Growing Fair
Springtime is a great time to get excited for the upcoming season, and our urban gardening fair is an opportunity to see what materials and support are available and learn about current practices in an educational workshop. - City of Chicago Municipal Services
Another source of support is the municipal services. Many of these are also available through 311. - GreenNet’s Member Organizations
Each member offers community gardening support in its own way. Visit their websites and locations to determine which resources are appropriate for your site. Available resources include: plants, community development support, public art, small business and farmers market support, educational workshops and classes, labor and volunteers, and years of community garden experience.
One of the major tools towards sustaining a community garden is building a network of supporters, neighbors, and gardeners. Building this network will not only make the garden function better; it will make it more fun! While community building can be a daunting task, remember we do not need to re-invent the wheel! Hopefully, these helpful links will provide you with tools to create a sustainable garden and community. Meet other gardeners at the annual GreenNet Community Greener of the Year Potluck in November.
Guidelines for grant seekers, green pages, and resource pages
- ACGA PDF: preserving community gardens
- PDF: What good is Community Gardening?
- Openlands BUGs program teaches how to Build Urban Gardens
- University of Illinois Community Development Toolbox:
- Resources on the benefits of Urban Forestry
GreenNet is a coalition of nonprofit organizations and public agencies committed to improving the quality, amount, use, and wide geographic distribution of sustainable, green open space in the City of Chicago.