By Paula Combs

Having a garden is beneficial on many levels. But having the space and the know-how to build one can be a challenge. Luckily, there’s a growing trend that can help — community gardens.

Community gardens vary widely in size, type and how they are run. However, the foundation is the same — a group of residents work together to maintain a piece of land, owned privately or publicly, to grow food or other plants. In addition to providing fresh produce and flowers, the gardens can help build a sense of community and allow people to connect with nature, which can be particularly valuable for those who are living in an urban environment.

From increasing green space on a city street to producing food for lower-income families to increasing habitat for pollinators, a community garden can have a variety of purposes.    

In Fauquier County, the Remington Community Garden was opened this past summer.

“We decided to do a community garden– something that would bring people together and something that would help feed families,” said John Waldeck, master gardener and lead coordinator for the Remington garden project. “We wanted a place where people could grow their fruits and vegetables and bond with old and new friends in a beautiful setting.”

Read more of this article, and many others, in our March/April 2016 issues—on newsstands the first week of March!