Community Gardening

Today my family went on a little field trip together to the Helping Hands Community Garden in Magnolia, TX.  We had such a good time walking the garden & getting information about this amazing project.


Prior to today, I had not heard of a community garden before.  Growing up in Wisconsin community gardens didn't exist, everyone just had their own in the backyard.  Furthermore, I didn't know many people in our small community that were in need of food...or maybe I was to nieve to notice.  Well, the folks at Helping Hands Community Garden are not turning a blind eye to those in need.  The community garden is setup in plots where individuals or families can select a plot and plant their own fruits, vegetables or even flowers.  What you grow is yours to eat :) The great thing about Helping Hands is the mission statement.  Not only are they providing the avenue for families to come together and enjoy some good old fashion outdoor time, but they are there to educate you on organic gardening principles.  The garden is divided into a couple areas; plots for families & individuals, the community garden & an assisted/disabled garden.

The community garden area is where everyone volunteers their time to grow things in common.  This produce in the community area is used with local charities and food drives to feed the hungry & homeless in our community! I love this idea! Donating one hour a month in this section of the garden affords you to have your own family plot to grow your own produce.

In the family or individual plots you are responsible for your own plants and the maintenance of your little garden.  They have a compost pile where you can draw from for fertilization and a water-rain tank that they utilize for watering.  Furthermore every Wednesday & Friday the ladies are there to teach you about their organic gardening tips!

My favorite part is the assisted & disabled garden area.  These ladies are so thoughtful and took the time to build raised gardens so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of working in the garden & the pleasure of eating organic produce!

My daughter, Aubrey, joined us today and was thrilled to see how some of her favorite fruits and vegetables were grown! She had NO idea where pumpkins came from & was shocked to see that sweet potatoes came from under the ground. (I'm hoping it was a good thing to show her this! She's not really a "dirt" girl!) The garden is literally filled with the buzz of bees & butterflies going from one flowering plant to the next! Aubrey watched in amazement as we explained the process of the bees making honey!  It was such a great experience.

My husband was thoughtful enough to take a couple pictures of our visit.  I suggest everyone begin gardening in some way.  As for our family, we will be volunteering our time in the community area of the garden through the winter & then starting our own family plot once the weather warms up!  Help me out by commenting below! What types of vegetables would you grow in your garden? What advice could you give me about gardening?