We just got back from visiting friends in Providence, Rhode Island. They had a hard time believing that we had just got leaves on the trees in Southern Maine, let alone that we hadn't even planted our vegetable garden yet. However, with winter-like weather expanding into May, it isn't always easy or feasible to get your vegetable garden going before Memorial Day Weekend rolls around. That's where a community garden can come in handy.

Community gardens build community across generations, nationalities and cultures.Photo byAdobe Photos

Community gardens grow food and friendship

While gardening in your own backyard doesn’t always require teamwork — though I do appreciate a hand from my husband from time to time — digging in the dirt with neighbors can certainly foster community. People of all ages and from all walks of life come together to plant a garden. In the process, they are building connections to the earth and each other.

Social benefits of community gardens

Community gardens hold widespread appeal for several reasons. Gardening together builds community across generations, nationalities and cultures. Southern Maine is home to dozens of community gardens. After overviewing the benefits of being a part of one, I'll tell you which towns in Southern Maine and city neighborhoods in Portland have a community garden.

Support network

Community gardens often serve as a support network for participants. They may offer camaraderie and assistance in times of need. 

PBS recently reported that gardening connects groups from many religious and cultural backgrounds, including indigenous gardeners and newcomers. Immigrants may share permaculture tips, vegetable recipes or sustainable agriculture methods from their homelands. In turn, they may pick up tips from neighbors about cold frame designs to extend the growing season.

Hands-on collaborative learning

Gardening in a shared garden plot provides a hands-on learning environment where people of all backgrounds can learn valuable gardening skills. Newbies learn from experienced gardeners, gaining practical knowledge in planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops.

Budget-friendly local produce

Community gardens offer a budget-friendly alternative to store-bought groceries. By growing their produce, participants may reduce their grocery bills while enjoying access to fresh, organic fruits and vegetables that didn’t spend hours getting shipped a long way.

At the same time, these gardens may offer individuals the chance to learn about little-known varieties of fruits or vegetables their fellow gardeners may plant and even natural plant food tricks for a more bountiful harvest.

Personal and neighborhood benefits

The benefits of gardening go beyond simply planting seeds and watching them grow into food. Community gardening offers health perks for people and the environment.

Gardening requires gentle movement, including bending, digging and planting. This exercise offers obvious physical benefits, yet it may also help with emotional and mental health. Multiple studies have shown that gardening can lower stress.

In addition, growing vegetables and fruits like tomatoes and lettuce give communities easy access to fresh produce. This produce, right from the garden, is packed with nutrients essential for health.

Biodiversity and reduced carbon footprint

The greenery and flowers of a community garden may improve the appearance of a neighborhood and enhance its charm. While serving as a gathering place for humans, it can also be a haven for diverse species. By introducing various fruits, herbs, vegetables and more, community gardens invite bees, butterflies and birds to the area.

Even better, local food production cuts down on emissions linked to transporting groceries across vast distances. Growing food locally reduces carbon footprints and attracts beneficial species and like-minded people.

Collaborative thinking 

Running a community garden has challenges. Limited space and resources pose significant challenges, especially in urban areas. 

Innovative solutions like rooftop gardens or shared spaces address this issue, maximizing available land for cultivation. Additionally, adapting to climate challenges offers the opportunity for collaborative thinking and creative approaches, like composting for better soil and rainwater harvesting for watering gardens.

When planning a garden, community organizers may use greenhouses, raised beds and select climate-appropriate plants to thrive in diverse weather conditions. These strategies ensure year-round productivity and sustainability, empowering communities to overcome environmental obstacles and continue reaping the benefits of communal cultivation.

Community garden initiatives in Southern Maine

To get involved in community gardening, search for local gardens through social media, websites such as the American Community Gardening Association. When I checked the ACGA interactive map on their website, I found nearly two dozen community gardens in Southern Maine. Additionally, my own research turned up a handful more.

Here's where you're likely to find a community garden in your Southern Maine city or town. Note: one of the community gardens in Portland — the Libbytown Community Garden — is closed this year because its soil is contaminated.

Finally, need garden tools? You can borrow them for free as part of your Maine Public Library card benefits.

Berwick Community Garden

The Berwick Community Garden is new to the town. They just broke ground on the space at 17 Logan Street, between the Police Station and Logan Street, in 2023. Community Garden meetings about the garden are held regularly at the Berwick Public Library, if you're interested in getting involved. According to the Community Garden Facebook page, plots are still available for 2024.

Biddeford Community Gardens

There are four community gardens in Biddeford, Maine. They are:

• Mission Hill Community Garden, 39 Sullivan Street
• Pierson's Lane Children's Garden At Pierson’s Lane Playground
• Rotary Park Community Garden 550 Main Street
• William's Court Community Garden Corner of South Street/Green Street

If you're interested in getting involved, they are having an open house on Saturday, June 1, 2024, from 10 am to 1 pm. Note: unlike other community gardens, the ones in Biddeford are communal. That is, you plant together and you harvest together. And it is during harvest time that you can take home what's grown. Anything leftover is donated to Youth Full Maine, Biddeford Food Pantry or Bon Appetit Meal Program.

Bridgton Community Garden

The Bridgton Community Garden is located at the Bridgton Community Center at 15 Depot Street in Bridgton. Plots cost $30 per season. All told, there are 52 garden beds. However, I couldn't figure out from the Bridgton Community Center Facebook page if any of them are still available for the 2024 growing season.

Cape Elizabeth Community Gardens

Registration is now closed for the 2024 season. However, there is a waitlist if interested. Information on the Cape Elizabeth Community Garden webpage. In the meantime, here's what you need to know about the Cape Elizabeth Community Gardens.

There are two community garden locations, with a total of 90 plots. One is at Maxwell's Farm is an organic garden located on land owned by Dan and Imelda Maxwell on Spurwink Avenue. It is located behind the former farm stand now occupied by the Ocean House Child Development Center.

The other location is at Gull Crest. It is an organic garden located on land owned by the town adjacent to the Gull Crest athletic fields off Spurwink Avenue.

Kennebunk Community Gardens

There are actually two community gardens in Kennebunk. One is located on Park Street, near Parsons Field, on the edge of the historic district. The other garden is in West Kennebunk. A town committee oversees both spaces, where the mission is the same:

• To create safe, well-equipped organic gardens for the community to rent plots and grow organic produce and flowers for their own use or to donate;
• To educate the public and encourage participation in organic gardening;
• To establish larger Community Gardens at each site, which are staffed by volunteers and provide organic produce for distribution to people in need and;
• To work in partnership with local, municipal and state organizations to distribute produce to food pantries and other charitable groups.

Cost for a seasonal community garden spot is $40. Besides working in your own plot, you are expected to volunteer hours in plots designed to grow food for local food banks.

Community Garden applications are available at the Town Clerk’s Office. Anyone interested in renting a garden plot may visit the Town Hall during normal business hours. Please be advised that plots are available on a first-come, first-served basis. However, it is expected that if you get a plot, you will plant by the first Sunday in June (two weeks following Memorial Day Weekend). If there are any plots that have not been partially planted by the first Sunday in June, those plots will be re-assigned to people on the waiting list. More information is available on the Kennebunk Town website.

Portland Maine Community Gardens

There are 10 community gardens throughout the City of Portland, Maine. However, there is just one place to sign up for a seasonal plot. You must complete a form on the Cultivating Community website. It says it works on a waitlist basis. When a plot opens up, they'll reach out.

The Portland Community Garden Sites are:

• Boyd Street Community Garden
• Casco Bay Community Garden
• Valley Street Community garden
• North Street Community Garden
• Riverton Community Garden
• Clark Street Community Garden
• Peaks Island Community Garden
• Brentwood Farms Community Garden
• Libby Town Community Garden (as mentioned earlier, currently closed for 2024)
• Common Share Community Garden
• Payson Park Community Garden

Saco Community Garden

The Saco Community Garden is fully rented for 2024. Here's what you need to know if you're interested in getting a gardening plot in 2025.

There are 40 seasonal plots, and the season typically runs from April to early November. Plots and 10 feet by 10 feet. Renters may register for only one plot. Saco residents pay $25 for a seasonal plot; non residents pya $35

Timeline for rentals:

• Returning renters in good standing: Begins in January
• Saco Residents: Begins in February
• Open to all members of the public beginning in March
• Registrations close on May 31

Finally, each renter is required to volunteer time to help in the garden. It's only two hours per season.

Tom Settlemire Community Garden in Brunswick, Maine

Make a note for 2025 if you want a gardening plot at the Tom Settlemire Community Garden in Brunswick, Maine. All 80 of the spots for 2024 are currently spoken for.

The Tom Settlemire Community Garden is an organic community garden owned and managed by the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust. The Garden is located on Crystal Spring Farm, a 320-acre working farm owned by the Land Trust. Even if you don't have a plot this season, you can still visit the garden during open hours.

Windham Community Garden

The Windham Community Garden is located on Route 202, down from the Public Safety building and next to the skate park. Garden beds are 10' x 20' and available to any resident of Windham (or neighboring community) on a first come first serve basis. They cost $35 per season. There are also a limited number of raised beds available upon request. Raised beds are 4' x 8'. According to the Windham Community Garden Facebook page, as of May 1, there were still spots available for 2024.

Westbrook Community Garden

As of May 1, the Westbrook Community Garden Facebook page reported there are three spots left to rent for the growing season. All together there are 85 raised beds. They cost $25 per season.

The Westbrook Community Garden is located at the Westbrook Community Center. That address is 426 Bridge Street in Westbrook.

Wolfe's Neck Center in Freeport, Maine

Wolfe’s Neck Center in Freeport operates a community garden. It encourages those without space to grow a garden to do it on their land. However, the website doesn't include how you might apply for a plot but does provide this phone number for more information: (207) 865-4469. If Wolfe's Neck sounds familiar, that's because we'd included it in our article on first day hikes.

Yarmouth Community Garden

Applications for growing spots in the Yarmouth Community Garden open each year on January 1. It's not clear if any of the 135 rental spots are still open for 2024. If they are, you'll pay $40 as a Yarmouth resident and $43 as a non-resident.

Yarmouth Community Garden is situated on a two-acre portion of Yarmouth Town land located on East Main Street at the entrance to the Frank Knight Forest, about a mile beyond Estabrook’s and just before the transfer station. The garden has three primary areas: the one-half acre community food garden, one-half acre renter’s garden, and a children’s garden, all supported by working beehives.

Final thoughts

Community gardens grow more than vegetables; they help to sow seeds of connection in an increasingly disconnected world. They provide an opportunity for real-life social interaction and learning between diverse individuals. If I've missed a community garden in Southern Maine that you think I should add to this article, please post a comment and let me know.

Portions of this article originally appeared on Food Drink Life and Southern Maine on the Cheap.