Urban Gardening Supplies – Tools For Starting A Community Garden
As more former or wanna-be gardeners move to the big cities, community gardens grow in popularity. The idea is simple: a neighborhood group cleans up an empty lot in its midst and makes it into a garden that members of the community can share. But once you’ve located that empty lot and obtained authority to use it, how do you begin to assemble all the tools for urban gardens necessary for starting a community garden? Read on to learn about how to identify the requisite supplies for urban gardening.
Starting a Community Garden
The great thing about a community garden is that no one person has all the responsibility. Every member of the group that planned the garden contributes their skills to get it started. If you are in charge of identifying the urban gardening supplies you will need, take into account the size and overall design of the garden. Obviously, you’ll need more tools for urban gardens that are large than or those that are small. The first thing to consider is soil since nothing grows without soil. Evaluate the condition of the soil at your proposed garden site. Often the soil of abandoned property is compacted to the point where you’ll need to include on your list of urban gardening supplies the following:
In addition, the soil might be of poor quality. If so, add topsoil to your list, or at least include organic compost and soil additives. If the soil in your new site is known to contain toxins, your supplies for urban gardens must include the materials to build raised garden beds or large containers.
Community Garden Supply List
Include hand tools for urban gardens to your community garden supply list. In addition to the supplies mentioned above, add the following:
You’ll also need irrigation equipment, whether that is watering cans or a drip irrigation system. Don’t forget fertilizers and mulch. However many items you come up with in your community garden supply list, you are sure to be forgetting something. It’s a good idea to invite others to review what you have identified as urban garden supplies, and to add to the list as needed.
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Teo Spengler has been gardening for 30 years. She is a docent at the San Francisco Botanical Garden. Her passion is trees, 250 of which she has planted on her land in France.
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