Each of these special types of community garden has different goals and strategies. Although many of the general resources apply, you can find resources particular to that type of garden below.
In a Cooperative/Collective/Communal Garden, the entire space is maintained by a group, collaboratively sharing the work, decision making, and the harvest, in contrast to a Community Garden with individually maintained plots. (This is often the model used by a Donation or Giving Garden--see below--in which most or all of the harvest is donated.) While some work might be done alone, these gardens often have shared workdays so members can enjoy each other’s company; building community relationships is often a stated intention.
Title: Collective Gardening Collaboration: Tools for Resilience
Sponsoring Organization: Vermont Community Garden Network (VCGN)
Description: In October 2021, the Vermont Community Garden Network and ShiftMeals launched a project to increase awareness of and resources for collective gardening. The project has several components that will be unfolding over the next year and a half, including: a training for existing and potential garden organizers, a supportive network of collective gardeners, and a public communications campaign with the goal of making “collective gardening” a commonly understood concept.
In addition, a search of the VCGN website for the term "collective" will turn up examples of this type of garden.
Donation or Giving Gardens are a way for communities to respond to local food shortages and food insecurity. Sometimes connected to a Community Garden and sometimes run independently, Giving Gardens are often designed using a cooperative model with members attending to the garden on a rotating basis through the growing season. All or most of the food harvested is donated.
Title: Pleasantville Community Garden How-To Guide
Sponsoring Organization: Pleasantville Community Garden
Description: "This How-To Guide is a compilation of experience and best practices from the founders, organizers and Board of the Pleasantville Community Garden and the combined knowledge of numerous community experts.... This Guide is geared toward community-run donation gardens, as this was the experience of the Pleasantville Community Garden. The goal of this How-To Guide is to expand the mission of the Pleasantville Community Garden, to help others battle food insecurity by providing people in need with healthy fresh produce. We want to help passionate people in other towns, cities and organizations to create their own community-run donation gardens, strengthening their community and supporting those in need." Entire guide is available on the website as well as in a downloadable PDF.
Teaching/Demo/Learning Gardens are designed to give members the skills they need to start their own gardens at home or in a community garden. Generally designed using the communal model, students work with a teacher to plant, water, weed and harvest, gaining the experience they need to become independent gardeners the next season.
Title: Creating Model Gardens and Landscaping
Sponsoring Organization: North Carolina Cooperative Extension
Description: This 2-page PDF checklist, while not specific to community gardens, is an example of steps to consider in planning a demonstration garden.
School Gardens are a subset of Teaching Gardens and can serve many purposes--to teach children where food comes from, the benefits of growing fresh food and its importance to health, and also environmental science. Although many general Community Garden best practices cover how to run a School Garden, the initial process for approvals, planning and building a school garden can be very different, and maintaining a successful school garden over time can have its own challenges. Many of the resources below include information on these specific practices as well as lesson plans and curricula specific to school gardens.
Title: School Garden Resources for Educators
Sponsoring Organization: Life Lab
Description: Extremely comprehensive page of links to resources about school gardens, including how-to's, education, nutrition, curriculum & online lessons, funding sources, etc.
Title: KidsGardening.org Educator Resources
Sponsoring Organization: KidsGardening.org
Description: An extensive collection of resources to help teachers, volunteers, parents, and others plan and sustain successful youth gardens and implement effective youth garden programs. Offers lesson plans, books, curricula, garden activities, and more. A section on "Designing a School Garden" includes articles on designing gardens for those with special needs.
Title: 10 Best Practices for Sustaining School Community Gardens
Sponsoring Organization: Vermont Community Garden Network
Description: Though short, this 1-page PDF lists 10 important best practices that contribute to the lasting success of a school garden.
Title: AGCA Environmental Education in the Community Garden: Lesson Plans
Sponsoring Organization: American Community Garden Association (AGCA)
Description: Page of "Garden Learning" resources includes 10 downloadable lesson plans.
Title: Our Community Growing Academy
Sponsoring Organization: Westchester Local Food
Description: This local resource in Mt. Kisco, NY offers a workshop, "Boot Camp for Garden Educators"
These can provide calming and restorative spaces for healing, and can also provide fresh foods for dietary health.
Title: How Hospital Gardens Help Patients Heal
Sponsoring Organization: Scientific American
Description: Short magazine article discussing research about the medical benefits of hospital gardens; includes a checklist, based on research, of what garden features work best for healing.
Title: What Are Healing Gardens?
Sponsoring Organization: University of Minnesota
Description: One-page overview of healing gardens.