Community Gardening is gardening that takes place when a community of members gather together to share in the building and maintenance of shared garden space. This initiative is an innovative way to accomplish a sense of community while using land meaningfully and compassionately. Community gardens are different from guerrilla gardening in their organizational form. Whereas guerrilla gardening takes place almost spontaneously and with little planning on its long term functionality, community gardening takes on a strategically planned and long term approach. It also takes more time to organize as it must first be met by approval from city councilors to use the specified lot and with enthusiasm from community members to tend to it long term.

In November 2008, Regenesis was encouraged by Louis St. Amour, President of the Harry Sherman Crowe Housing Co-op to help them start a community garden at the co-op.  Regenesis brought the proposal to the Board of the Harry Sherman Crowe Co-op and York University with a comprehensive plan to build a community garden that would benefit its participating members, students, and the larger community.

The proposal was received with enthusiasm and logistical consultation is underway with the objective to begin building early next year.

Would you like to see a Community Garden in your neighborhood?

E-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for a petition to take to your local city councillor.

Collect 50 signatures from local residents that agree to participate in the garden. Have them specify time commitment and areas of involvement eg. 3 days a week for gardening and maintenance.

Then contact your local city councillor with all the names in the petition with a cover letter addressing the need for a community garden, the city lot you have in mind if applicable, and a contact to follow thorugh.

Follow up and don't give up! Have the people that signed up continue to contact your local city councillor.

Community Gardens in Toronto:

•Alex Wilson Community Garden •Alexandra Park Diversity Garden •Bain Community Garden •Bell Manor Garden, Bell Manor Park •Campbell-Rankin Community Garden •Carrville Community Garden •Cedarvale Park Children's Garden •Centres d'Accueil Heritage Garden •Chalkfarm Community Garden •Christie Pits Community Garden •Dufferin Grove Recreation-led Community Gardens •Earlscourt Park Community Garden •East York Community Garden •Eglinton Park Heritage Garden •Emmett Avenue Garden •FoodShare Community Garden •Fort York Community Garden •Frankel Lambert Community Garden •Garrison Community garden •Glen Road Garden •Garrison Creek Park Community Garden •Hillcrest Park Community Garden •HOPE (Healthy Organic Parkdale Edibles) •Jackman Millenium Garden •Maloca Community Garden @ York •New Horizons Community Garden •Oakvale Garden •Oriole Peanut Community Garden •Parkview Neighbourhood Garden •Phyllis Rawlinson Garden •Perth Dupont Community Garden •Princess Park Childrens' Play Garden •Riverdale Meadow Community Garden •Roof Top Garden, South Riverdale Community Health Centre •San Lorenzo Community Organic Garden •The Always Growing Gardens •The Garden Party at Redeemer Lutheran •Thorncliff Park Garden Club •Upper Canada College Learning Garden •West End Flower Fairy Gardens (Emerson) •West End Flower Fairy Gardens (Grafton) •West End Flower Fairy Gardens (Northumberland / Concord) •Winchester School Garden •220 Oak street Community Garden