Northern Virginia is an area where many residents live in apartments, condos, and town houses rather than single-family homes, so they don’t have the land to start a garden of their own. And even some people who do own land can’t garden for various reasons, including homeowners association rules or insufficient light and drainage.
Community gardens serve as a designated area where people can go to garden outside their home.
Kirsten Conrad, the Virginia Cooperative Extension Agricultural Natural Resource officer for Arlington County and the City of Alexandria, says the gardens give people a chance to experience the benefits that gardening can have, such as feeling the satisfaction that comes with growing your own food.
An added benefit to community gardening is, as the name suggests, the ability to cultivate a sense of community with fellow gardeners.
“It really is a wonderful way to build community, to socialize with others, [to] get to know your neighbor, help each other out, and what could be better than that?” says Pamela Smith, the community horticulture supervisor at Green Spring Gardens in Fairfax County.
How do they work?
Community gardens can be found throughout Fairfax County and Arlington County, as well as the City of Alexandria.
To apply to rent a community garden plot, you can submit an application on the county website, where you can check which gardens you’re most interested in.
Be prepared to be patient: Many of the gardens are in high demand and will likely have waiting lists. In both Arlington County and Fairfax County, wait lists are currently in place at every garden.
As plots become available, you get assigned a plot. You’ll sign a contract agreeing to maintain that plot and pay a rental fee (which varies based on its size and whether it has access to amenities like water), then you’ll be able to access the plot to get it cleared out and ready for gardening.
Get gardening
Each garden will have its own set of rules and regulations to follow, but one rule reigns supreme.
“You can’t do anything that’s going to reduce the ability of your neighbor to garden,” says Smith, calling this the “golden rule” of community gardening.
This means that there will be restrictions on how tall plants can grow, so that the shade won’t block the sun for your neighbors; restrictions on the use of pesticides and other chemicals (Conrad points out that some gardens like Chinquapin Garden in Alexandria are fully organic); and no plants that appear on Virginia’s list of invasive plants.
Need help?
Community gardens are open to gardeners of all levels of experience, and there are plenty of resources available for novice gardeners in need of sage advice. The Fairfax County Extension Master Gardeners and the Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia each have help desks where people can call in to ask for help with plant problems. Gardeners can also attend plant clinics at farmers markets or visit demonstration gardens to learn visually.
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