There are different types of community gardens. Most have a primary focus, but gardens can also fall across categories.
Each type has different goals and strategies. The resources on this Planting Westchester Community Gardens page will focus primarily on the first, most common type of community garden (although some resources will be useful for other types as well), with an emphasis on food production. Resources specific to other particular types of community gardens are listed in the Special Types of Gardens section. Community Gardens with Plots: the most common type of community garden, with separate plots maintained by individuals or families, usually to grow food for personal consumption and/or donation (may additionally have shared common space for gatherings, events, etc.).
- Cooperative, Communal or Collective Gardens: the entire space is maintained by a group, coordinating their efforts, and the harvest is shared. As a group, they determine what crops they’d like to plant, they divide the work and they enjoy the bounty together. While some work might be done alone, Communal Gardens have shared workdays so members can enjoy each other’s company. This is different from a Community Garden where members are more independent. Community is a stated intention for a cooperative garden.
- Donation or Giving Gardens: this type has the explicit purpose of donating all or most of the produce to others. Often, but not necessarily, organized as a cooperative or communal garden. For resources specific to this type, see Special Types of Gardens.
- Demonstration or Teaching Gardens: these are designed to give members the skills they need to start their own gardens at home or in a community garden, or to provide examples of certain types of plants or techniques. Generally designed using the communal model, students may work with a teacher to plant, water, weed and harvest, gaining the experience they need to become independent gardeners the next season. For resources specific to this type, see Special Types of Gardens.
- School Gardens: these are a subset of Teaching Gardens and can serve many similar purposes to a Community Garden and have many of the same needs. School Gardens 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. For resources specific to this type, see Special Types of Gardens.
- K-12
- College and University Campuses
- Therapeutic or Healing Gardens: these can provide calming and restorative spaces for healing, and can also provide fresh foods for dietary health. For resources specific to this type, see Special Types of Gardens..