Gardening is a hobby for most, but you can also take your experience with plants a step further. Garden donations to food banks, community gardens, and other charitable uses of your gardening skills are great for taking your hobby to another level. It will give you a practical way to improve your neighborhood and local community, and it’s a great way to give back.
How to Give Back with Gardening
Gardening for the community and giving back make this activity more meaningful. If you’re wondering how you can put your gardening time, talent, and skills to work for others, keep reading for some ideas to get you started.
Charity Garden Ideas
Donate extra veggies and fruit that you grow to a local food pantry. Call to ask first, but most pantries take fresh produce. If you do have a local food pantry that accepts produce, consider growing a section of your garden just for charity. You can also take some of your produce (or flowers) to neighbors going through difficult times.
Raise money for charity by offering tours of your garden. If you have a spectacular garden that people would enjoy seeing, you can raise a little cash by asking for garden donations. You could also create a community garden by setting aside an area of your yard that the community can access. Or, if your city or neighborhood has a public area, see if you can use it to start a garden for everyone.
Teach gardening to local children or even adults who want to learn. Make your garden, or at least a part of it, native and eco-friendly to give back to the local environment. This means planting native species, providing habitat for pollinators and other wildlife, and using sustainable, organic practices.
Why Giving Back with Gardens is Important
There are many reasons to consider being charitable with your garden or your gardening knowledge and experience. If you already enjoy gardening, using it in a way that helps others or the environment only makes it even more significant.
Gardening with your neighbors, creating a community garden, or working with children is a great way to bring more unity to a local area, enjoy socializing, and make new friends. Most of all, it simply feels good to do good. If gardening is your skill and talent, you can put it to good use and improve your community by giving back.