One of the first community gardens in Winter Park, this garden provides organic vegetables and fruit for members to keep and to share. Residents and their families rent a bed for a full year – 4 growing seasons. They plant and maintain their 4 ft by 16 ft garden bed to be free of weeds and pests using organic practices.
Gardeners have set aside a couple of the beds to grow produce for Second Harvest Food Bank and often donate excess from their own beds as well. Pictured here are children from the Monarch Learning Academy as they harvest and clean carrots to donate.
This community garden was originally established as a Demonstration Community Garden, funded by the Winter Park Health Foundation, and managed by the Orange County / UF IFAS Cooperative Extension Service and Orange County Master Gardener Volunteers. In February, 2011, management transitioned to the membership, who formed an organization with bylaws and officers—a President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary. The organization reports to the Board of Trustees of Mead Botanical Garden, Inc.
If you have an interest in being a part of the community garden, please send an email to the Community Garden Board.
The garden is located in the northwest corner of Mead Botanical Garden at 1310 S. Denning Dr, Winter Park, FL 32789.
Benefits of a Community Garden
Gardening by itself is therapy and provides exercise through the process of maintaining a garden. Maintaining a garden bed will be a learning experience through formal and informal demonstrations and presentations throughout the year. Intergenerational and cross-cultural interaction will be encouraged in all participation, education and development phases of the Community Garden.
Funding
The Winter Park Health Foundation funded the budget for the Demonstration Community Garden in 2009 at $25,000 over three years.
The TLM Community Garden Learning Centre is registered as a member of the American Community Garden Association.
