Growing library garden programs

Library gardens offer a great way for community members to come together to learn, grow, and contribute towards a healthy, balanced environment. And creating a vibrant community green space or gardening program doesn’t have to be complicated. Across the country—and beyond—libraries are growing gardening programs in their own unique ways. As you explore some of the gardens and programs here, you’ll notice that community partnerships represent a common thread running throughout all of the programs. Local businesses, master gardening groups, arts organizations, and community government can all play important roles in growing a successful library garden program. The Read & Feed Community Garden (Michigan) grew from a partnership between Harrison District Library and H&R Block, which donates land and water for the garden. Community members can “check out” their own plot, and excess produce is donated to the Stone Soup Project.