“Do you know that woman?” I asked John Mathews while in his front garden in Madison, Wisconsin, last year. We had been deep in conversation about a ginkgo when a person wandered off the sidewalk, take-out coffee cup in hand, into his landscape.
“No,” he answered with a smile. “But it happens all the time.”
If you live in a more rural or private locale, perhaps you have never experienced the phenomena of creating or owning a communal garden. It can be a spot that invites strangers off the street by design, or a space that inadvertently encourages passersby to stop their morning jog and step into the flora. This issue features several types of community gardens, both public and private, and I find them all to be incredibly inspiring.
In Making a Big Impact in a Small Space with Tropical Plants, you’ll be immersed in Derrik Gagliardi’s masterpiece, a small urban rainforest. In addition to the colorful, bold plants, you might notice his neighbor’s home, which sets the backdrop to many of this garden’s most alluring scenes. In the article, Derrik writes, “I chose not to create a barrier between my patio and my neighbors’ abutting windows because the space is so narrow that it felt rude. An inclusive attitude prevailed, and I decided that I wanted them to be able to enjoy the garden as I do.” He goes on to explain other ways he balances privacy for himself and inclusiveness with his neighbors through the garden’s design.
Lisa Negri took the idea of building a communal garden one giant leap further, by purchasing a lot adjacent to her Denver, Colorado, home and turning it into a pocket park. The space now features pollinator-friendly, xeric plantings that have transformed the lives of those nearby, learn more here. “When we first started putting plants in the ground, my urban neighbors were very confused. Few understood why I would replace a potential building site with wild-looking plantings instead of another house or a
conventional lawn. Over time, the community’s curiosity turned to appreciation. In 2024 alone, more than 2,000 visitors explored the garden, drawn in by its beauty and sense of serenity.”
Finally, in 10 Ideas from Community Gardeners you’ll meet an inspiring group of community gardeners from South Philadelphia (and likely pick up some great ideas for your own veggie beds). The plots they tend not only provide healthy food but also create peaceful green spaces where neighbors can gather and socialize. The gardens serve as motivation to tenants and homeowners in the surrounding blocks as well, who have embraced gardening in their own limited spaces (check out the incredible trellis that utilizes recycled bike parts).
We didn’t set out to make this the communal gardening issue; it happened organically. But perhaps it was inevitable, since so many gardeners create green sanctuaries in the hope that they enlighten and connect us to others. So the next time a group of neighborhood kids runs around your front garden, don’t think, Ugh, I wonder what they just trampled? Instead think, Mission accomplished.
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