Starting a Garden

Header: Step 1: Planning

Plan the garden layout

Photo of example garden layout

Questions to consider:

  • What type of garden do you want to have?
  • What are some characteristics about the garden location?
  • How much sunlight does your location get?
  • Do you have access to water at your site?
Header: Step 3: Making it Happen!

Plan a Ground-Breaking Day celebration!
​Invite the community to help build the garden. Make it a fun event with food, refreshments, and music!
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Experiment with different varieties!
​Consider growing costly vegetables that you might not usually buy.
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Plant foods that grow well in Maricopa County
It is important to consider the climate and soil when determining your crop
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Plant according to the season
Use our Vegetable Planting Calendar as a resource

Header: Step 3: Sustaining your Garden
  • Host monthly workdays
  • Attend a garden class
  • Request gardening and nutrition lessons

Get in contact!

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Wilson & Central Phoenix

Kaley Necessary
Garden Coordinator
kaleynecessary@arizona.edu

Maryvale

Marina Gallardo
Garden Coordinator
macostaortiz@arizona.edu

How can we support you?

Education

  • Attend our gardening trainings and workshops.
  • Request gardening and nutrition curricula for your school.

Community

  • Partner with us to hold gardening workshops for your community.
  • Offer monthly events to keep your community involved (i.e. cooking demonstrations).

Communication

  • Use promotional material and social media to keep your community informed about garden events.

Make your garden successful!

The People

Get the community involved in every step of the way, a thriving garden needs constant support from the people that use it.

The Stuff

Grants, in-kind donations of materials, and other resources help your community maintain the garden.

The Organization

Careful planning, decision-making, and leadership is important to making your garden successful!

Group of people around a garden bed

Get your community involved

Identify the people who will be involved in the garden, involve them in the planning process to build their commitment to the project, and encourage them to contribute their strengths.

Make the most of your Garden

Use it to educate students and families about nutrition and encourage them to eat more fruits and vegetables. Incorporate gardening into topics like science, math, problem-solving, and teamwork. Provide school lunch ingredients from sanitarian-approved gardens, provide donations for food banks or families in need. Tie gardening to health, nutrition and wellness. Get the community involved - create a gathering plate and point of pride! Use the produce you grow for taste testings.

Seedlings growing in containers

quick links

visit the cooperative extension website:
for more resources and recipes:

This material was funded by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - SNAP through the AZ Health Zone. This institution is an equal opportunity provider. The University of Arizona is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or genetic information in its programs and activities. We are supported by the Arizona Department of Health Services, Office of Chronic Disease Prevention, and Nutrition Services. This program is funded by the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Assistance Program.
https://www.fns.usda.gov/civil-rights/usda-nondiscrimination-statement-snap-fdpir