Community Gardening in Hillsborough County

A community garden is a collaborative space in which the participants share in both the maintenance and the rewards. Community gardening is a popular and rewarding activity for Hillsborough County residents and offers many benefits to gardeners, their surrounding community, pollinators, and the environment.

The benefits of community gardening include:

• Improved air and soil quality
• Increased biodiversity of plants and animals
• Increased access to fresh foods
• Improved food security
• Increased physical activity
• Improved mental health and relaxation
• Strong social and neighborhood ties
• Increased community engagement
• Science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) principles for youth
• Educational opportunities for community gardening leaders and member by the University of Florida, Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ staff

While community gardens can be extremely rewarding, they also require organizational maintenance. Have no fear! We’d love to help set you up for success.  

Interested in starting your own community garden?

If you or your organization are interested in starting a community garden, please send us an email to Stonewi@HCFLGov.net.  From there, we’ll arrange a time to talk more in detail about your vision and connect you to community resources that will have you growing in no time! You can also find more resources here (https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_community_gardens).

Community Garden Map

We recommend visiting or joining an established community garden before starting your own. You can find your nearest community garden below! Click on each garden to learn more about their membership structure, location, and how to get involved.

Don’t see your garden listed? Email Will Stone, Stonewi@HCFLGov.net, to have it added to the map! 

Community Spotlight: The Coalition of Community Gardens

The Coalition of Community Gardens ( https://coalitionofcommunitygardens.weebly.com/) is a network of gardens and people who support and share knowledge and resources; build infrastructure to grow gardens; and advocate for public policies to improve health through community gardening in Florida. There are Community Gardens all over the West Central Florida area.  They invite all community gardens to be a part of this coalition whose mission is to support the success of community gardening.

Learn more or join the Coalition of Community Gardens by visiting their website (https://coalitionofcommunitygardens.weebly.com/)