Every gardener knows that spending time tending a garden can be a balm for turbulent times. Putting your hands in the earth and watching life unfurl is therapeutic. But gardening can be more than a solitary source of comfort: It can also be a powerful way to build community. Here are 10 ways to find connection and strengthen the ties in your neighborhood through the power of plants. 

Featured image, above, from A Moveable Feast: Berlin’s Portable Garden.

Join a community garden.

When we asked gardeners how gardening has helped them connect with neighbors in new ways, many of them told us about the joys of joining a community garden. Through community gardens, everyday gardeners have made lifelong friends, grown food for the hungry, and more. But what if your community garden has a years-long waitlist? Consider starting your own. ​​In 2020, florist and garden designer Christina Koether and her friend, Terry Cho, did just that. They persuaded the Lachat Town Farm, a nonprofit organization in Weston, CT, to let them create a community garden where volunteers could grow nutrient-dense food for the local food pantry on the property. They fundraised to build the garden and since then, more than 5,000 pounds of fresh vegetables and fruit have been donated to local food banks across Fairfield County.

Volunteer in a garden (or nature).

No matter where you live there is likely a public garden of some kind that needs tending. Think beyond the big, botanical gardens (although they, of course, welcome volunteers!): Historic houses, local museums, and libraries all have gardens that may need volunteers to help with maintenance and planting. Local land trusts, nature preserves, and parks may also offer opportunities for trail maintenance or organized invasive plant pulls you can join.

Host a plant swap.

If you’re the type who likes to organize events, consider hosting a plant swap. Susie Lee (@theplantladylibrarian), a public librarian in New York City, started monthly plant swaps at her local branch. She says the key to getting a swap up and running is to promote it widely in places you think local plant people might see it (e.g., gardening-focused Facebook groups, local news outlets, etc.) and to have a recurring time and meeting place, so people can make plans to come.

Start a seed exchange.

Garden pros Cody Wilson (@gardenspaces_) and Melissa Kruse-Peeples (@the_desert_smells_like_veggies) were looking for a way to connect with other gardeners in the Phoenix area when they hatched a plot to start a seed swap. Almost as soon as they’d secured the Instagram handle and announced the first Phoenix Seed Swap they had gardeners clamoring for a meet-up sooner. Since then, they have had dozens of gardeners show up at every event they’ve hosted. Wilson says it’s more than just a chance to exchange seeds, “it’s about sharing knowledge, too,” she says. “We’re in zones 9b/10a and it is such a difficult place to grow.” Wilson says the only supplies you need to get started are a folding table, envelopes, markers, and—in Phoenix—some shade!

Share your bounty.

When the gardening season swings into full force, you may find yourself with an overabundance of veggies or flowers. That’s a time when your garden can help you connect with non-gardening neighbors, who will see your excess of zucchini as a generous gift. “Gardens inspire you to share things,” says Willa Köerner, the writer behind the Dark Properties newsletter, who gardens in the Catskills. Since moving to the area six years ago, Köerner has used sharing the flowers and vegetables from her garden as a casual way to connect with neighbors. “I feel so much more rooted in my town knowing my neighbors,” she says.

Plant a row.

If you like the idea of sharing the harvest from your garden, consider joining the Plant A Row movement. This is an informal, national movement that encourages gardeners to “plant a row,” specifically to donate to the hungry. If you know a few other people who grow veggies, you could suggest doing it together to combine your efforts. Koether says that food pantries are happy to receive donations of fresh produce, but it’s nice to wash it and package it a bit before donating (she uses plastic bags and upcycled clamshells and berry boxes).

Grow flowers just to give.

When Kelli Pease (@theflowerremedy) began gardening five years ago, she quickly discovered the joy of giving flowers away. Now she’s on a mission to grow and give away 1 million flowers. Pease donates bouquets to be delivered by her Meals on Wheels chapter, offers flowers to her local Buy Nothing Group, drops off mini bouquets at senior living facilities, hosts bouquet-making parties in her garden, and stocks a little free flower library in her front yard (phew!). “People light up when they see them and never can believe that they are free,” she says. “I’ve gained lifelong friends through this project—both through the people I’ve given to and the volunteers who help me put together the arrangements. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in gardening!”

Join a plant society.

You don’t have to have a horticulture degree to join a local plant society. Graham Laird Gardner, the author of Tiny + Wild, describes joining the Rhode Island Wild Plant Society as a “pivotal” experience in his journey as a designer. “Through plant sales, potlucks, and hands-on activities, I not only grew my plant knowledge, but also honed my social skills in a supportive, collaborative environment,” he says. “It’s an intergenerational space where friendships blossom naturally, and I encourage anyone interested in deepening their connection to nature and community to find a native plant society near them.”

Sign up for a garden club.

Likewise, you don’t have to have a picture-perfect garden to join a garden club. Many garden clubs across the country are hungry for members, especially young ones. The Garden Club of America maintains a database of local chapters you can search. If you can’t find one, or the one you do find isn’t quite your vibe, consider starting your own. Köerner is organizing what she calls a “radical gardening club” in her area to find other gardeners interested in ecological gardening, who are also learning as they go. She likens it to a book club in which the meeting rotates every month from garden to garden for a casual gathering.

Open your garden for a tour.

For gardeners who have put the hours in to create a show-worthy garden, consider inviting others to visit it to raise money for charity. Many local nonprofits host annual garden tours as fundraisers, as does the Garden Conservancy through their Open Days program. The gardener simply agrees to let people come snoop around for a few hours. Another option to support a charity is to lend your garden to an organization for a fundraising event.

See also:

• Save Elizabeth Street Garden: Awaiting the Fate of the Lower East Side’s Most Charming Park
• How to Start a Community Garden (In 5 Steps)
• From Garden to Paper Plate: In NYC’s Lower East Side, a Community Garden Where Kids Pick Their Food