The Community Gardens of Tucson

"Little boxes on a hillside, little boxes made of ticky tacky, little boxes on a hillside, little boxes all the same......"  Well maybe you haven't heard this tune from the late Malvina Reynolds, but it's a good one.  Suburbia.  A lot of Americans are moving into smaller homes with smaller lots restricting them from gardening or doing other kinds of landscaping around their homes.  Why?  Well mostly this all stems from neighborhoods regulated by HOA's or the Home Owners Association.   Homeowners or renters with a green thumb are limited by what they can do and many times don't have the room for a garden space.  Enter the Community Gardens of Tucson.

Pics today are not my own.  This is a help guide for Tucsonans looking to garden in the Old Pueblo:)

"A community garden is a place where neighbors can grow flowers or vegetables together on one piece of land. The land is usually lent to us by a church, school or private land owner, at no charge, for use as a garden space. Separate garden plots, usually measuring about 3′ x 20′, are made available to individuals and families in the neighborhood. A drip irrigation system is installed to supply water to the plants. A separate water meter is installed in the garden, and the property owner is reimbursed for all the water that is used. The cost to the gardener is $15.00 per month for each plot. This money pays for the water bills and the irrigation equipment, the bimonthly newsletter and a shed full of tools. The gardener usually only needs to supply plants/seeds and soil amendments.

What Are The Benefits?


* Healthy, Tasty, fresh vegetables grown without pesticides

* Brings families and neighborhoods together

* Gives those without much of a yard a place to garden

* Good exercise – and gardening is peaceful and relieves stress

* Beginners and experts alike can share their knowledge (and their harvest)

* Teaches both children and adults about the lives of plants"

"In 1989, George Brookbank, a University of Arizona Cooperative Extension agent, devised a program to teach productive gardening using hands-on experience. A vacant lot located near 1st Ave. and Limberlost was graciously donated by the Hand family and was developed into plots with drip-irrigation systems. These plots were rented by participating families for the cost of water."

The founder of The Community Gardens of Tucson, George Brookbank, turns 87 years old.

"CGT is an all-volunteer nonprofit group devoted to promoting health, knowledge, joyfulness and a sense of community by helping Tucson residents establish and maintain neighborhood vegetable and flower gardens. It is made up of gardening experts, novices, homeowners and volunteer coordinators. If the garden is not going to be run by CGT, we are happy to consult on garden projects for a consulting fee of $50 per hour."  Source

On my gardening journeys around town, I discovered the Community Gardens of Tucson is alive and well.  In fact, in my own neighborhood of Miramonte, we have St. Marks.  St. Mark’s (Tucson Organic Gardeners) and The Benedictine Monastery both have community gardens open to the neighborhood on their respective properties. On my hunt last year for the avocado tree, I spoke with a priest and several sisters about the Community Gardens.  They were enthusiastic about starting this project up in our neighborhood.  In what seems to be a popular movement in growing our own vegetables, isn't it nice to know that gardeners have options? More tomorrow...