This Saturday, stop by the first annual Public Tour of Community Gardens, hosted by the Tennessee Valley Community Garden Association.  Twelve participating gardens will be open to visitors who are interested in learning more about community gardening in the Tennessee Valley.

where does your garden grow?

The Tennessee Valley Community Garden Association (TVCGA) was created early this year.  Alice Evans, event organizer, describes the mission of the TVCGA.

“The Tennessee Valley Community Garden Association was formed…with the goal of bringing together the growing number of community garden projects in the area, in order to share knowledge and resources and to lend greater visibility and staying power to all involved.”  Alice Evans

The Tennessee Valley has a diverse group of community gardens.  These gardens are most often grass roots efforts, and the shape that each project takes varies from site to site.  Churches and other charitable organizations form gardens, such as Asbury Farm and the CASA Community Garden, with the goal of feeding the hungry.  Other gardens may grow produce to stock on-site kitchens.

For example, produce from Legacy Elementary’s “Project Pond” is used in students’ school lunches.  At Amos Garden on Winchester Road, apartment residents and management work together in the complex’s 31 garden boxes. The long term vision for Amos Garden is to create a space large enough that garden participants might sell their produce at local farmers’ markets, creating a new source of income for the apartment residents.

Lend a Hand

In addition to raising awareness, the TVCGA hopes that the First Annual Public Tour of Community Gardens will inspire Valley residents to action.  There are numerous ways to support community gardening in Huntsville.  Many of the gardens have regularly scheduled work days.   A number of gardens, such as the Monte Sano Community Garden, accept sponsors.  Garden visitors may be inspired to join an existing garden, or to consider starting a new garden in their area.

“If you own a vacant lot or have the final word on an open piece of ground, think about opening it up to let somebody start a garden there!”  Alice Evans

Pecan Grove Gardens began as a backyard garden and now offers land for anyone interested in gardening there.  No space is too large or too small for a community garden; the possibilities are truly limitless.

Garden Tour Format

The Public Tour of Community Gardens will be held open house style.  Visitors can visit one garden, or twelve, and are free to spend as long as they like at each garden.  Each of the member gardens will have volunteers present for the duration of the tour.  Visitors are encouraged to ask questions of the volunteers.

Visit the TVCGA’s interactive Google map to help you plan your tour of the gardens.  The map details the location and a description of each of the Tour’s participating gardens.

Event Details

Date:  Saturday, June 16th
Time:  10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cost:  Free
Location: Visit NACGA’s interactive Google map to locate gardens.
Contact TVCGA: By email or by calling 256-682-5742