Growing Healthy People,
Growing Strong Communities
Let's grow together
Do you love....
gardening, sustainability, food equity and healthy living? We do too!
Join a Garden
Whether you’re a gardening novice or a seasoned expert, gardens are always seeking new members. Click below to find a community garden near you!
Come to an Event
Community gardens host an array of events, and we would love for you to join! Click below to find out what's going on near you.
Get Support
Explore our community garden website for a wealth of resources to help you get the most out of your gardening experience!
Why Community Garden?
Live healthy
Community gardens grow fresh organic fruits and vegetables, making them more accessible to participants. This promotes healthier eating habits, provides nutritious chemical and pesticide free options that may not be as readily available in stores, and aids in disease reduction.
Physical Exercise
Gardening itself is a physical activity that can improve fitness levels and contribute to overall well-being. It involves activities such as digging, planting, weeding, and harvesting, which can be excellent forms of exercise.
Mental Health
Gardening has been shown to reduce stress and promote relaxation. It provides an opportunity to connect with nature and put your hands in the dirt, which can have a calming effect on the mind and lasting mental health benefits.
Community Building
Community gardens bring people together from diverse, intergenerational, and cross-cultural backgrounds to create a sense of community. Participants often work together towards a common goal, fostering social connections and a sense of belonging. It also provides an opportunity to get to know your neighbors.
Environmental benefits
Community gardens can contribute positively to the environment by promoting sustainable practices such as composting, reducing food miles (the distance food travels from farm to consumer), and creating green spaces that support biodiversity. It also reduces the carbon footprint and improves the viability of soil.
Educational Opportunities
Community gardens provide a hands-on learning experience about gardening techniques, plant biology, and environmental stewardship. It also educates participants about healthy eating and nutrition and teaches children where food comes from, changing the trajectory of families and future generations.
Improved Food Security
For communities with limited access to fresh produce, community gardens can help improve food security by providing a local source of nutritious food, thereby reducing money spent on groceries.
Beautifies the Neighborhood
Community gardens beautify neighborhoods and provide green spaces that residents can enjoy, often reducing crime and improving property values. They can enhance the quality of life in urban areas by offering a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Skill Development
Gardening in a community setting allows participants to learn new skills, such as planting, watering, and composting. It can also provide opportunities for leadership and teamwork.
Community Empowerment
By taking an active role in growing their own food, community members gain a sense of empowerment and self-reliance. They become more connected to where their food comes from and can take pride in contributing to their community's well-being.
Flowers grow in flower gardens, vegetables grow in vegetable gardens, communities grow in community gardens.
Join one of our
60 gardens
for your health & community
Our Impact, Together
Testimonials
From Gardeners & Youth
Keep in touch on
Instagram
to connect with the community
“I never thought I could do it. Because I love indoor plants and I’ve never been able to keep it alive for more than like a year. So I was really apprehensive at first because I think I just kill everything that’s green. Black thumb. But my experience has been great.”
Bree began gardening six months ago at @813hoodgarden and has some advice for those looking too get started: Just do it!!!!
Check out @813hoodgarden on the Community Garden Tour on 11/3 - a backyard garden featuring group painting, lawn games, tours, and good vibes! Early bird $25 tickets on sale through 10/30. Remember, kids are free and one lucky ticket holder will receive a pair of Lightning tickets!
#coalitionofcommunitygardens #cocg #communitygardentour #growinghealthypeople #growingstrongcommunities #growinggardeners #tampacommunitygardens #blackthumbgreenthumbwhogivesa
“I never thought I could do it. Because I love indoor plants and I’ve never been able to keep it alive for more than like a year. So I was really apprehensive at first because I think I just kill everything that’s green. Black thumb. But my experience has been great.”
Bree began gardening six months ago at @813hoodgarden and has some advice for those looking too get started: Just do it!!!!
Check out @813hoodgarden on the Community Garden Tour on 11/3 - a backyard garden featuring group painting, lawn games, tours, and good vibes! Early bird $25 tickets on sale through 10/30. Remember, kids are free and one lucky ticket holder will receive a pair of Lightning tickets!
#coalitionofcommunitygardens #cocg #communitygardentour #growinghealthypeople #growingstrongcommunities #growinggardeners #tampacommunitygardens #blackthumbgreenthumbwhogivesa
Save the date for our 7th Grow Gardens Conference! This year’s theme “Growing Together: Resilient Gardens, Healthy Futures” will feature:
🥬 A regional panel with representatives from four counties
🥬 Garden Stories from @apollo_beach_community_garden_ and @westtampagrowshealthy
🥬Engaging breakout sessions
🥬An afternoon in the garden
🥬Happy Hour with the amazing @kudu_band
Tickets go on sale next week and COCG members receive 20% off! Stay tuned!
#coalitionofcommunitygardens #cocg #growinghealthypeople #growingstrongcommunities #growgardens
Save the date for our 7th Grow Gardens Conference! This year’s theme “Growing Together: Resilient Gardens, Healthy Futures” will feature:
🥬 A regional panel with representatives from four counties
🥬 Garden Stories from @apollo_beach_community_garden_ and @westtampagrowshealthy
🥬Engaging breakout sessions
🥬An afternoon in the garden
🥬Happy Hour with the amazing @kudu_band
Tickets go on sale next week and COCG members receive 20% off! Stay tuned!
#coalitionofcommunitygardens #cocg #growinghealthypeople #growingstrongcommunities #growgardens
Our very own Nate “Nature” Farley celebrated his 27th birthday this week! Nate has been gardening for most of his life, and professionally for the past five years.
A few fun Nate facts:
🌱He is a thespian 🎭
🌱He doesn’t have social media
🌱His favorite color is lavender
🌱Gardening has changed his life immensely (listen to hear why!)
Statistics show that gardening has a wide range of health outcomes including reductions in depression and anxiety, stress, mood disturbance, and BMI as well as increases in quality of life, sense of community, physical activity levels, and cognitive function.
COCG encourages YOU to start, no matter your gardening level! Visit our website to find the community garden near you or sign up for our IFAS Community Gardening Curriculum with the first cohort starting in February.
Also, let’s give Nature some birthday love! Comment below with your favorite Nate story.
#coalitionofcommunitygardens #cocg #growinghealthypeople #growingstrongcommunities #communitygardening #tampacommunitygardens #gardeningforhealth #gardeningformentalhealth #gardeningforhealthandwellbeing #gardeningforthesoul
Our very own Nate “Nature” Farley celebrated his 27th birthday this week! Nate has been gardening for most of his life, and professionally for the past five years.
A few fun Nate facts:
🌱He is a thespian 🎭
🌱He doesn’t have social media
🌱His favorite color is lavender
🌱Gardening has changed his life immensely (listen to hear why!)
Statistics show that gardening has a wide range of health outcomes including reductions in depression and anxiety, stress, mood disturbance, and BMI as well as increases in quality of life, sense of community, physical activity levels, and cognitive function.
COCG encourages YOU to start, no matter your gardening level! Visit our website to find the community garden near you or sign up for our IFAS Community Gardening Curriculum with the first cohort starting in February.
Also, let’s give Nature some birthday love! Comment below with your favorite Nate story.
#coalitionofcommunitygardens #cocg #growinghealthypeople #growingstrongcommunities #communitygardening #tampacommunitygardens #gardeningforhealth #gardeningformentalhealth #gardeningforhealthandwellbeing #gardeningforthesoul
First Annual Community Garden Tour ✅🌿
We are so very grateful for every single one of you who participated and made this tour possible! If you have any photos you’d like to share, please tag us. We’re already looking forward to next year 😎
#coalitionofcommunitygardens #cocg #growinghealthypeople #growingstrongcommunities #communitygardentour #tampacommunitygardens
First Annual Community Garden Tour ✅🌿
We are so very grateful for every single one of you who participated and made this tour possible! If you have any photos you’d like to share, please tag us. We’re already looking forward to next year 😎
#coalitionofcommunitygardens #cocg #growinghealthypeople #growingstrongcommunities #communitygardentour #tampacommunitygardens
We’ve had some exciting news to share! A new community garden is coming to West Tampa’s MLK Park, a prominent food desert, as a part of our USDA Urban Agriculture Grant with the City of Tampa.
While we have an initial garden design, we can’t build a community garden without community! We held our first outreach meeting last week and met Lisa - a passionate balcony gardener who started gardening in March to grow fresh food for her and her children. Stay tuned for more updates on our Healthy MLK Park, including what name the community picks for their new garden 🌱💚
#cocg #coalitionofcommunitygardens #growinghealthypeople #growingstrongcommunitiee #tampacommunitygardens
We’ve had some exciting news to share! A new community garden is coming to West Tampa’s MLK Park, a prominent food desert, as a part of our USDA Urban Agriculture Grant with the City of Tampa.
While we have an initial garden design, we can’t build a community garden without community! We held our first outreach meeting last week and met Lisa - a passionate balcony gardener who started gardening in March to grow fresh food for her and her children. Stay tuned for more updates on our Healthy MLK Park, including what name the community picks for their new garden 🌱💚
#cocg #coalitionofcommunitygardens #growinghealthypeople #growingstrongcommunitiee #tampacommunitygardens
Jennifer from VISTA Gardens in Carrollwood explains how to harvest tropical sage seeds! Tropical sage is a native perennial wildflower that bees, large butterflies, and hummingbirds can’t resist 🐝🌿🦋 It typically blooms in summer and fall but can bloom year-round in many parts of Florida. Stay tuned to see what becomes of these seeds!
VISTA Gardens just celebrated their 10 year anniversary - check out their website at www.vistagardentampa.org and make sure to follow their instagram as well!
Jennifer from VISTA Gardens in Carrollwood explains how to harvest tropical sage seeds! Tropical sage is a native perennial wildflower that bees, large butterflies, and hummingbirds can’t resist 🐝🌿🦋 It typically blooms in summer and fall but can bloom year-round in many parts of Florida. Stay tuned to see what becomes of these seeds!
VISTA Gardens just celebrated their 10 year anniversary - check out their website at www.vistagardentampa.org and make sure to follow their instagram as well!
Coalition of Community Gardens is thrilled to announce our First Annual Community Garden Tour on Sunday, November 3rd! With over twenty beautiful gardens across three counties, this is a rare opportunity to visit gardens across Tampa Bay and learn about growing your own food!
All proceeds benefit COCG, a registered 501-C3 focused on growing healthy people and strong communities across Greater Tampa Bay.
We hope to see you there! For more information on participating gardens and tickets visit the link in our bio!
#coalitionofcommunitygardens #cocg #communitygardentour #growinghealthypeople #growingstrongcommunities
Coalition of Community Gardens is thrilled to announce our First Annual Community Garden Tour on Sunday, November 3rd! With over twenty beautiful gardens across three counties, this is a rare opportunity to visit gardens across Tampa Bay and learn about growing your own food!
All proceeds benefit COCG, a registered 501-C3 focused on growing healthy people and strong communities across Greater Tampa Bay.
We hope to see you there! For more information on participating gardens and tickets visit the link in our bio!
#coalitionofcommunitygardens #cocg #communitygardentour #growinghealthypeople #growingstrongcommunities
A trip to 15th Street Farm is not complete without vibrant, flourishing vegetables, an impromptu meal (or two) from Emmanuel, collaboration, and Juan and Jacob 🐾
This urban educational farm near downtown St Petersburg facilitates learning and community building around healthy food from soil to fork, and is truly doing amazing things. From tastings, to yoga and brunch, to cooking classes and more, this special spot is cultivating good soil, community, and health in a very chic, worldly way.
We showed their Development and Program Director, Lauren, how to utilize the new COCG website to upload their garden events and volunteer opportunities. Visit our site (link in bio) to see all the garden related events and volunteer opportunities across West Central Florida!
@15thstfarm
#coalitionofcommunitygardens #cocg #growinghealthypeople #growingstrongcommunities #purplecauliflowergang
A trip to 15th Street Farm is not complete without vibrant, flourishing vegetables, an impromptu meal (or two) from Emmanuel, collaboration, and Juan and Jacob 🐾
This urban educational farm near downtown St Petersburg facilitates learning and community building around healthy food from soil to fork, and is truly doing amazing things. From tastings, to yoga and brunch, to cooking classes and more, this special spot is cultivating good soil, community, and health in a very chic, worldly way.
We showed their Development and Program Director, Lauren, how to utilize the new COCG website to upload their garden events and volunteer opportunities. Visit our site (link in bio) to see all the garden related events and volunteer opportunities across West Central Florida!
@15thstfarm
#coalitionofcommunitygardens #cocg #growinghealthypeople #growingstrongcommunities #purplecauliflowergang
