Community Gardens: Growing Connections or Killing Space?

BY CLARK ENNIS & CRISTINA LOUIS

Community gardens sound like a simple win: residents grow fresh food, meet neighbors, and the property gets a feel-good amenity that supports wellness and sustainability. In reality, they can be a great engagement tool, but only if they’ re treated like a program with structure, not just a couple of raised beds dropped into a courtyard.

Just like any other amenity, a community garden only creates value when it’ s well maintained, clearly managed, and intentionally tied into the resident experience.

Successful community gardens have a few common traits:

1. A Seasonal Signup with bed assignments, timelines, waitlists and agreements.

2. Clear Rules including what can be planted, upkeep expectations, tool storage, clean up and abandonment guidelines.

3. Highly Visible for residents to enjoy watching growth, and maintain interest throughout the community

A community garden is not a“ set it and forget it” amenity and can be a powerful engagement tool, but only when it’ s managed with intention. Treat it like a program, not just an amenity, and it can quietly cultivate connection, satisfaction, and a stronger sense of home.

On the next page are a few pros and cons, as well as a few best practices to help guide you in choosing to incorporate a community garden as an amenity at your community.

Clark Ennis is the Area General Manager at Sentral Union Station

Cristina Louis is an account manager with RediCarpet

38 | TRENDS MARCH 2026 www. aamdhq. org