by Evelyn Alemanni

St. Louis is the location for the 2010 America in Bloom symposium. In an early February visit there, I was astonished to learn that the city has 182 community gardens, coordinated by Gateway Greening (they will be one of the many fantastic presenters at the symposium). This organization offers gardening classes, but has discovered that community gardens grow more than vegetables - they grow friendships, teach ethics, responsibility, trustworthiness. They prepare people for jobs in the horticulture industry. There are many benefits - both emotional and economic. So many benefits, in fact, that Gateway Greening sponsored a study that quantifies them. You can read the entire study at http://www.gatewaygreening.org/WhitmireStudy.asp.

Here are some highlights:

• Rents and housing prices increased near community gardens.
• Personal incomes increased when people live near community gardens.
• Garden areas experienced a decrease in the poverty rate. 
• Population loss in the areas immediately surrounding the garden was less than in the city as a whole and in the surrounding tracts.

If you're interested in starting or expanding your community gardens, more resources are available at www.communitygarden.org/.

By the way, some of the community gardens will be featured on a symposium tour. Symposium details are at http://americainbloom.org/Symposium-and-Awards/Award-Ceremonies.aspx

Good gardening....