How to Start a Garden

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Coordinating & Fundraising

  • Meet with people who will use and maintain the garden. Establish goals and plans. Assess wants and needs.
  • Form committees for garden planning and construction, fundraising, communication, and public relations.
  • Give your garden a name!
  • Make a budget, secure grants and donations, and work with sponsors to get supplies for the garden.

Designing

  • Your garden should be near a water source and be easily accessible for planting, maintenance and harvesting.
  • Locate your garden where it will get at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight (morning sun is best). Remember, the angle and intensity of the sun changes with the seasons.
  • Sketch your plan to-scale. Include the number and size of your plots, and pathways as needed. Include room for storage and composting (if applicable).
  • Decide what to plant. Consider plant varieties, plant spacing, and using vertical space.
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Plan a Ground-Breaking Day celebration! 
​Invite the community to help build the garden. Make it a fun event with food, refreshments, and music!
Experiment with different varieties!
​Consider growing costly vegetables that you might not usually buy. 
Plant foods that grow well in Maricopa County
It is important to consider the climate and soil when determining your crop
Plant according to the season
Use our Vegetable Planting Calendar as a resource
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Education

  • Attend our gardening training's 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 demos 

Communication

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

Make Your Garden Successful!

The People

A thriving garden needs constant support from the community that uses it!

The Stuff

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

The Organization

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


​Get Your Community Involved

  1. Identify the people who will be involved in the garden
  2. Involve them in the planning process to build their commitment to the project
  3. 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 team-work
  • Provide school lunch ingredients from sanitarian-approved gardens
  • Provide donations for food banks or families in need
  • Provide classroom education - tie gardening to health, nutrition and wellness
  • Get the community involved - create a gathering place and point of pride!
  • Use the produce you grow for taste testings