Minneapolis residents volunteer to care for the environment, promote local communities, and maintain more than 100 city parks simply for the love of gardening.
Community gardens grow fruits and vegetables, and community gardens grow flowers and other plants, allowing volunteers and community members to enjoy the benefits of gardening.
Prospect Park Garden Club (PPGC) volunteer Gibb Ahlstrand says gardening is a way to stay fit and improve the environment.
“[My partner and I] love being outdoors,” Ahlstrand said.
Community gardens and community gardens are owned by cities, local nonprofit organizations, or individuals who allow the public to use the gardens.
For renters living in renter-dense cities like Minneapolis, parking is not guaranteed. For some volunteers, the main reason they volunteer is because they can't get anything done in their cramped apartment.
Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board (MPRB) Community Gardens Program Coordinator Rebecca Gross said MPRB-managed parks make gardening a priority for tenants who can't afford it.
"We have a slightly different application process than other parks," Gross said. "We carefully review and vet all applications to give priority to Minneapolis residents who do not own land outside the park and plan to grow food."
From a volunteer perspective, public parks and public parks are managed in the same way as private parks.
Planting plants and flowers in the spring, removing weeds, adding compost and mulch, and regular watering will enrich the garden, Ahlstrand says. Winter preparations vary from gardener to gardener.
Minneapolis city parks and MPRB indoor gardens will be cleaned and disinfected in the spring.
Local public parks are planted with native plants that have evolved to withstand freezing temperatures, said George Mason, a volunteer with the Southeast Como Improvement Association.
Mason, who helped create the public park in Como, said public parks inspired him for their environmental benefits.
“We have received a lot of help from community members who are interested in improving the south-eastern part of Como and creating more flower gardens for beauty purposes.”
PPGC volunteer Kay Taylor became a volunteer after seeing the park's growth and community acceptance.
"When you work there, people walk by and you always say, 'Oh, thanks, that's great.' Thank you for your great work,” Taylor said. “It was fun watching the plants grow.”
All of these organizations receive funding and garden supplies from the MPPRB, city government, or local government to maintain the gardens.
Volunteers are always needed, whether it's pulling weeds and watering plants or helping volunteer organizations, Gross said.
Taylor said students in the area should volunteer with a group like PPGC because private and public gardens provide many benefits.
“Some people might think that gardening is a relaxing break from studying,” Taylor said. “This is an opportunity to go out and do something for the area.”
