Yard Sharing A Neighbourly Way to Garden

This past summer we were in transition from one house to another, although the houses were within four blocks of each other, moving is moving. There is packing and unpacking to do and if you have moved recently you understand just what that entails.

There was also the issue of the garden. I was doing basic maintenance on the yard of the house we were living in and the owner of the house where we were moving to gave me the okay to start a garden in the backyard. He could not give me much space due to his move; a truck would be in and out of the yard over the growing months, so I set up a small raised bed out of the way.

Neither site gave me the space I needed to grow as much as I wanted. One day while talking with a neighbour about her desire for a garden, she made the suggestion that we share her yard; I would get desired space and in exchange, she would get gardening lessons. A good deal all around, just what I look for.

Outside of the community gardening scene, this was my first experience in yard sharing and I recommend it to anyone who desires more gardening space, has no gardening space or is looking for someone to garden with, for whatever reason.

Tools, expertise, seeds and conversation can all be shared and as gardening is a networking sociable activity sharing a yard fits right in.

There are yard sharing networks you can join if you are interested in pursuing this endeavor, or you could consider starting your own.

Do you have space you want to share or are you looking for space to share?  You, depending upon where you live, may want to drop by hyperlocalvore, a yard sharing community and see if there is anything going on where you live.

This site facilitates the process of finding a yard, how the arrangement irons out, is up to the participants which is how it should be.

Or, you may want to talk with your neighbours, friends or family and see if anyone is interested in a yard sharing arrangement. Yard sharing is a great way to get beyond the lawn and grow food that is healthy and as fresh as it gets. Talk to the people you know and see how they respond, the interest in healthy, locally grown produce is growing, get the most from your experience, share.