If you read this blog regularly, especially my articles, you probably know that I have a special connection to garden clubs and other gardening organizations. I spent much of my youth visiting gardens and participating in activities alongside my father, horticultural communicator Larry Hodgson, who worked with these groups throughout his career, including giving lectures.
When I was young, we had a plot in a local community garden in the Quebec City neighborhood where I grew up. That’s where I learned the basics of vegetable gardening. I spent countless hours playing in the Van den Hende garden with the children of other horticultural society members while the adults went about their business. Even today, I am closely involved with various associations and regularly give lectures for horticultural organizations.
A Tradition Rooted in the Community
I am convinced that gardening is, at its core, a community activity. Historically, agriculture and gardening—which are at the very roots of our civilizations—were essential to the survival of populations. People cultivated collectively to feed the entire community, not just their own families. In many societies, the land belonged to the community and gardens were often maintained and shared by everyone.
This sense of shared effort still exists today. Gardening continues to bring people together: who hasn’t talked to a neighbor about their diseased tomatoes, exchanged seeds or cuttings, or lent a tool? In my experience, it is also a family activity that brings generations together, allowing them to learn from each other and pass on valuable traditions. I myself learned from my father, who in turn learned from his father.
Beyond its family aspect, gardening is also a community activity. Entire neighborhoods come together to beautify public spaces, while associations lead greening and naturalization projects. Community gardens bring citizens together around the same piece of land, while making our environment healthier and our ecosystems more vibrant.
Garden Clubs
A garden club is a non-profit organization that brings together gardening enthusiasts, whether they are beginners, experienced, or professionals. Its mission is to promote gardening within the community through educational, social, and environmental activities. Operating at the local or regional level, these societies are often part of a larger network and play a key role in promoting eco-friendly gardening.
Horticultural societies organize a wide range of activities, including lectures on various topics, hands-on workshops, guided tours of public and private gardens, and plant and seed exchanges. They also participate in community greening projects, maintain public and school gardens, and collaborate with local organizations, libraries, and schools.
Operating thanks to the commitment of volunteers, they are run by an elected board of directors and supported by annual membership fees. In return, members enjoy numerous benefits: discounts from certain partners, exclusive access to activities, newsletters, specialized documentation, and above all, the opportunity to exchange ideas with other passionate gardeners.
Through their work, horticultural societies not only help to beautify the environment, but also strengthen social ties, promote biodiversity, and raise public awareness of sustainable horticultural practices.
Other Community-Based Gardening Groups
In addition to garden clubs, several other types of associations play a key role in promoting gardening and local beautification. More informal or focused on specific goals, these groups enable citizens to become actively involved in the life of their neighborhood, share their knowledge, and cultivate living spaces together.
Among the most active are greening committees, often linked to neighborhood associations. Their mission is to transform neglected areas into green havens, maintain green alleys, plant trees, and create flower beds in public spaces. These committees rely on citizen mobilization and collaboration with municipalities and various partner organizations.
Community gardens are also at the heart of the local horticultural fabric. Managed by committees of volunteer gardeners, they offer plots to residents and sometimes organize training sessions, collective work parties, or harvest festivals. They promote food self-sufficiency while forging lasting social ties.
There are also more specialized groups, such as clubs dedicated to orchids, peonies, or roses, herbalism circles, permaculture collectives, and urban agriculture associations. Each, in its own way, contributes to enriching the local gardening culture, with an emphasis on community education, ecology, and knowledge sharing.
Often dynamic and welcoming, these groups are an excellent gateway to learning about gardening or deepening your knowledge… while actively contributing to the collective well-being.
The Importance of Community Gardening
We are bombarded in the media with all kinds of problems: climate change, loss of biodiversity, pollution, declining mental health, food insecurity… Faced with these seemingly insurmountable challenges, it is easy to feel powerless, especially when you are alone. And yet, on a local, concrete level, citizens are organizing to make a difference. Gardening together is not just about planting flowers or vegetables: it’s also about sowing solutions.
Community gardening groups—whether they are greening committees, community gardens, horticultural and ecology societies, or urban agriculture groups—are responding to these challenges with simple, accessible, and transformative actions. By greening our neighborhoods, they mitigate heat islands and improve air quality. By promoting the planting of native plants, they restore habitats for pollinators and help halt biodiversity loss.
On a human level, these initiatives strengthen the social fabric, break down isolation, provide learning opportunities for young and old alike, and foster a deep sense of belonging. They also make fresh food more accessible, promote local knowledge, and empower citizens.
Get Involved!
Want to meet other enthusiasts? Share your surplus seeds, gardening tips, or simply enjoy some time in the sun in a community garden? Joining a garden club, greening committee, or community garden is a concrete way to get involved—at your own pace and according to your interests.
You can start small: participate in a community cleanup, attend a conference, or volunteer some time to organize an activity. And if there aren’t any groups active in your area, why not start one with a few neighbors? The ground is fertile. Sometimes all it takes is a few motivated people to get a project off the ground.
So this year, why not plant a little more than just flowers? Get involved! Sow nature, reap community.
In an increasingly digital world, these green spaces and community-driven efforts are more important than ever for both our mental health and the health of our ecosystems.