Community gardens are as adaptive as the individuals who make them possible. If you are interested in further researching this topic, here are a few additional sources.
Lawson, Laura J. 2005. City Bountiful: A Century of Community Gardening in America. Berkeley: University of California Press.
This book is a great overview of the last century of community gardening in America. Lawson offers garden history with a lively narrative focus on values associated with the creation of community and urban gardens.
Hynes, H. Patricia. 1996. A Patch of Eden: America’s Inner City Gardeners. White River Junction, Vermont: Chelsea Green Publications.
Haynes provides a valuable source highlighting successful community garden projects in over 200 American cities. In the process, she tells the stories of urban gardeners who, lot by lot, are transforming the country’s landscape.
Dewar, Margaret E., and June Manning. 2013. The City After Abandonment. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
This collection of essays by top urban planning experts explores the reasons why cities become abandoned while discussing the steps to rehabilitation. Community gardens and urban agriculture initiatives are more often than not part of the solution.
Naimark, Susan. 1982. A Handbook of Community Gardening. New York: Scribner.
Interested in starting a garden in your community? This source can help get you started, from selecting a site to gathering materials. Naimark also discusses what exactly a community garden is and offers a brief history.
“Growing Community Across the U.S. and Canada.” American Community Garden Association website.
Looking for gardening events, programs, resources, and more? This is where to find it.
“Community of Gardens.” Smithsonian Gardens website.
Smithsonian Gardens provides an interactive forum for people around the country to post about community garden initiatives in their cities and neighborhoods. Learn about all of the incredible projects going on around the country.
