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Gardening Brings People Together

February 3rd, 2011

One of the things I’ve noticed is that gardening really bring people together. The love of gardening is something that many people from all walks of life have in common. It doesn’t matter if your ninety or nine, if you’re both gardeners you can find something to talk about.

My neighbors have always asked me about gardening, but more so now that I’m growing edible things. After I put in raised beds in the back and starting growing tomatoes in my front flowerbeds, I noticed that a few of my neighbors started to do the same. The neighbors across the street even starting cutting down trees each year to expand their edible garden. She comes over often to ask my advice about what’s wrong with her peppers or where to buy strawberry plants. Late this fall she came over and offered me some raspberry canes. I’d been wanting to put some in, but hadn’t bought any yet, so I say yes. She brought over a bucket full of them, I think there were 10 canes in all. I’ll have to make sure to take her some garlic when I harvest mine this summer, as I know she doesn’t grow her own yet.

Gardening truly is a wonderful way to open the door to get to know your neighbors. Even if your neighbors don’t garden, simply sharing some of your bounty may be enough to get them interested. You may find yourself with gardening neighbors soon enough!

Do you share plants & produce with neighbors? Has a neighbor shared plants with you?

13 Comments to “Gardening Brings People Together”
  1. Sue on February 3, 2011 at 5:19 am

    I loved this post. I think gardening is the very best way to “break the ice” with new neighbors. I’ve met some of the finest people that way.
    When we moved here, a very nice lady brought me some Dahlia tubers-I had always wanted to try them-and now they are one of my favorites. In turn, I have divided those original tubers up and have shared them many, many times.
    Thanks for starting my morning with a smile!

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  2. Jennifer Fisk on February 3, 2011 at 7:24 am

    I tend to start more seedlings than I need so always give them to the neighbors.

    Reply to Jennifer Fisk's comment

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  4. Nebraska Dave on February 3, 2011 at 9:19 am

    It is so true. Gardening people are the best. They are always willing to share plants and information and sometimes even help with the care of the plants. Community gardening is really catching on here in my town which is a great way to meet like minded folks from all walks of life.

    Have a great garden planning day. 46 days until spring. I better get cracking because it will be before we know it.

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  5. Daedre Craig on February 3, 2011 at 10:23 am

    I swap tomato plants with a professor where I work. Other than that, I actually have trouble giving away plants. I don’t know very many gardeners, so it’s hard to find plant-swap buddies.

    Reply to Daedre Craig's comment

  6. louisa @ TheReallyGoodLife on February 3, 2011 at 11:26 am

    Last year was our first year in a new neighbourhood – and giving away eggs (to specific people) & spider plants (left on the doorstep with a “please take them and love them” sign), we got to meet a lot of people fast — we already know far more people than we did in our last neighbourhood, and we lived there for 10 years!

    In return, we’ve received apples, plums, cakes & building materials – and lots of offers of people to feed our cats & chickens if we need to go away anywhere.

    This year, I’m hoping to have more spider plants to give away and hopefully other (veg) seedlings as well as eggs to keep spreading the love.

    Away from sharing, I’m involved in a local theatre group – the mean age of members is about 65, even taking into account the odd whippersnapper like me (I’m 31). I’m really bad at normal small talk but gardening & preserving gives me plenty to talk about with most people.

    Gardening really does help build communities.

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  7. Emily Jenkins on February 3, 2011 at 11:55 am

    Gardening has really helped me to reconnect with a close friend I had in high school. She went away to college and when she came back several years later we were still friendly but there was a distance to our friendship. It wasn’t until we started making regular trips to the compost center that we really hit it off again.
    This spring I’m hoping she’ll be willing to take some of my seedlings off of my hands as I’m sure I’ll be starting too many as usual.

    Reply to Emily Jenkins's comment

  8. Anne on February 3, 2011 at 11:59 am

    I’ve had several friends give me flowers. I gave some of my flowers to my son’s babysitter to grace her brand new house’s yard and traded hollyhock seeds with a neighbor. I think it’s so much fun to trade seeds and bulbs!

    Reply to Anne's comment

  9. melissa on February 3, 2011 at 12:38 pm

    I tried! One year I gave away impatiens cuttings that I had rooted. But I dunno, none of my friends are brave enough to try growing things so for the most part I have given that up.

    Reply to melissa's comment

  10. Lynda on February 3, 2011 at 12:51 pm

    I share seeds, seedlings, root cuttings, fruit, veggies…started a Community Garden and have built several raised beds for family and neighbors…it just seems like the right thing to do.

    Reply to Lynda's comment

  11. warren on February 4, 2011 at 11:29 am

    We always plant a bigger-than-we-need garden so we can give stuff to people. Everyone knows homegrown tastes better. So few people will take the time to garden but everyone loves to get the stuff fresh picked!

    Reply to warren's comment

  12. MAYBELLINE on February 4, 2011 at 3:55 pm

    We always exchange produce at work and I share with my elderly neighbors. However, I couldn’t get anyone to take me up on free strawberry plants so my patch has expanded.

    Reply to MAYBELLINE's comment

  13. Chris Ryan on February 14, 2012 at 12:26 pm

    Great post! I’ve been considering Raspberry canes myself.

    Reply to Chris Ryan's comment

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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