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BIO Holly Dodd is a guest writer with a passion for creating content that’s both useful and impactful. She enjoys exploring a wide range of subjects, with a particular focus on raising awareness of important issues and bringing communities together.
If you love caring for plants, have a passion for nature and take pride in your garden, then you’ll be excited to hear that Community Gardening Week took place from March 31st to April 6th. This is a celebration which involves appreciating the amazing community and school gardens across the UK. Whether you’re an expert gardener or are interested in starting a new hobby, getting involved in a community garden is a fun experience for everyone.
Community and Inclusivity
Being part of a community is empowering and provides a sense of belonging. Creating and maintaining a community garden together is something you can do as a team and feel proud about. Having a support network around you who appreciates you is an important feeling; nobody deserves to feel left out.
Scope released a report which polled 2,000 working-age disabled adults and it showed that almost half (49%) felt excluded from society. See here for the report. This is a huge amount and a sad reality for people affected by disabilities, more needs to be done to make everyone feel involved in their community. Gardening can be made inclusive for many disabilities. For example, using raised beds means that someone in a wheelchair can enjoy planting flowers. Gardening is also beneficial for people with disabilities such as dementia and autism because it gives them a safe space to enjoy an activity that can reduce stress but is also structured.
Socialise With Others
The thought of getting to know new people can sometimes be daunting, but those who look after community gardens are very friendly. Tending to an outside area is a team job; you need to work together to make sure everything goes according to plan.
From talking about flower beds to what you’re getting up to at the weekend, gardening is a great way to make friends. This is especially useful for those who may feel isolated or lonely. For example, some elderly people can find themselves feeling alone if they’re inside often because perhaps they’re retired or have low mobility.
Learn New Skills
Expanding your skill set can boost your confidence and help with personal growth, and it’s exciting, no matter what age you are. Gardening teaches you many skills, like how to create compost and the best way to grow the perfect carrot. As well as this, it also teaches you valuable life skills like how to be responsible and plan effectively. Gardening with others means you can learn from them, and they can learn from you.
Low-Intensity Exercise
Gardening keeps your body moving through activities like digging, watering, raking and weeding. Doing these often can improve muscle strength and keep your body flexible. This is especially useful for those who may struggle to do high-intensity exercise, such as if they have low mobility or are elderly. It can also burn more calories than you might think. For example, if you dig in a garden for half an hour, this could burn between 150 and 197 calories!
Gardening with other people is also encouraging if you get tired or lack motivation with a certain task. Getting active regularly is good for your physical health, but it’s also really good for your brain mentally.
Getting Outdoors
Stepping outside, taking a breath of fresh air, and exploring nature comes with many benefits. This is especially good for your mental health and can reduce low mood and stress levels. It can also improve other areas of your life like allowing you to sleep better, sharpening your focus and boosting your creativity levels. If children find a passion for gardening, it can teach them how important it is to look after nature from a young age.
Get Involved with Social Farms and Gardens
We’re a UK-wide charity that supports communities to garden, farm and grow together. We have over 3,000 members who have a passion for nature and work with communities through projects and partnerships. Our work is helping 200 city and school farms, 1,000 community gardens, UK care farms and hundreds of farms and gardens in development as well. Find out how you can get involved today.
Community gardening is about more than just plants - it’s about people, connection, and wellbeing. Whether you want to make new friends, wanting to get more active, or give back to your community, there’s a space for you in the garden!