Open Space

Community Gardens currently in Hartford

For more information please contact the Knox Parks Foundation, Inc., 75 Laurel Street, Hartford, CT 06106, (phone)860-951-7694, (fax) 860-951-7244.

Please select from the list below to get more information.

Community Gardens Affleck Allen Chapel American Legion Blue Hills Broad St. Buckley Chestnut Church of Good Shepherd Clark / Nelson Evergreen Nelson / Clay Niles Omega Watkinson West End Winter-Green

Community gardens also exist at Shepherd Park, Underwood Senior Housing, Immanuel House and Avery Heights. They are restricted to residents of these senior housing developments.

Affleck
----- 158 Affleck Street, between Park and Ward Streets

Allen Chapel
----- 2219 Main Street, on grounds of Allen Chapel Church

American Legion
----- Corner of Windsor and Battles Streets

Blue Hills
----- Corner of Tower Avenue and Grand Street

Broad St.
----- Broad Street, between Russ and Grand Street

Buckley
----- George Street, on the grounds of the Buckley Convalescent Home

Chestnut
----- Between Albany and Walnut Streets

Church of Good Shepherd
----- 155 Wyllys Street

Clark / Nelson
----- Corner of Clark and Nelson Streets

Evergreen
----- Corner of Evergreen Avenue and Fales Street

Nelson / Clay
----- Corner of Nelson Street and Clay Street

Niles
----- Niles Street, One block west of Sigourney Street

Omega
----- 833 Windsor Street, faces Main Street

Watkinson
----- Off Bloomfield Avenue, behind the Unitarian Meeting House

West End
----- Girard Avenue, on the grounds of the UCONN Law School

Winter-Green
----- Between Winter and Green Streets

• They create opportunities for people to work together to improve their own communities in many ways. Community gardens can serve as a foundation for coalitions and networks for many other neighborhood issues.
• They help to create a community of children and adults working together for a shared purpose.
• They provide opportunities for adults and children to learn about nature and the environment.
• They provide a more livable environment by controlling physical factors such as noise and pollution.
• They can inspire the cleanup of vacant lots and the productive use of building rooftops.
• They provide wholesome, low-cost fresh fruits and vegetables and can be a springboard for community residents to learn about good nutrition.
• Gardening offers moderate exercise that most people can participate in.

How can I start a community garden in my neighborhood?

1. Find at least ten people interested in working on a garden. This step is absolutely necessary for your success in making a garden that serves the community, rather than an individual. While gardening can be a very enjoyable activity, it can also be a fair amount of work. Sharing the work makes it easier to get it done. 2. Identify a piece of land. Find out who owns the property by calling the town clerk. You must get permission from the property owner before you start making a garden. 3. Find out if water service is available at the site. Call the The Metropolitan District (MDC) at 860-278-7850. 4. Find out if the soil is contaminated. For information about soil contamination in Hartford, call 860-683-4977 at the Connecticut Agriculture Experiment Station in Windsor. 5. Get more information. The American Community Gardening Association (ACGA) has published Starting a Community Garden and developed a community garden video. Hartford residents can call the Knox Parks Foundation, Inc., 860-951-7694, to borrow a copy of the ACGA video and to get additional advice and assistance.