The Chicago Community Gardening Association wants to build on the experience of our 10th Anniversary event where we celebrated our collective work, reveled in nature, and connected with friends. We’re inviting you, Chicago’s community gardeners, to co-host a series of free events with us – for gardeners across the City to learn about and experience community gardening, right in our gardens!
Become an event host!
We invite you to share your event proposal for the Fall Series by Friday, August 11.
CCGA will immediately review the proposals we receive and notify gardeners of acceptance by August 14.
What is the How Does Your Garden Grow Event Series?
For most of us, a garden is “just a natural place to be.” It’s that place where our shared work overcomes our differences. Your garden didn’t happen overnight. The journey may have been a long one, with struggles along the way, but there is still so much to learn about gardening: How do we wake up our gardens? How do we design them for pollinators? What are our harvesting techniques and how do we put our gardens to bed for the season? Great things, like great gardens, take time. How does your garden create that experience?
CCGA invites all our community gardeners, garden groups and organizations such as block clubs or greening committees across the City to collaborate. Tell us, show us how your garden grows.
Who should participate?
Every garden! Community gardens have people with extraordinary talents and abilities. They may not have their own Wikipedia page, but for your garden, they are what you need. How does your garden or organization provide an opportunity for all gardeners to engage with each other and find joy in gardening? How does your garden connect with nature, or create stewardship? Does your garden motivate people to promote and enact environmental sustainability? Please tell us, show us.
What can you plan?
As a series host, there are numerous creative ways for your garden to plan an event or something in combination with other gardens to bring gardeners together across the City in the very garden(s) where you work. To host an event, pick a date and share your ideas with us. Events could include a workshop/panel discussion, food, music or art festivities, an open house, guided or self-guided garden tours, celebration, or something else unique to your community garden! Please tell us, show us by filling out this short proposal form.
Fall Series
Event proposals due by August 11
In September and October, gardeners participating in “How Does Your Garden Grow?” may show others that there is still plenty to do in the garden! Beyond enjoying the beauty of a late summer garden, there is always harvesting, cleaning up, weeding, and mulching again. Fall is the time to plant new perennials. Perhaps you’ve started a pollinator garden or are dividing plants like hosta, daylilies, and phlox to share. Please tell us, show us!
What CCGA can do!
CCGA will partner with community gardens that host an event. We will actively participate and plan an event with you. Based on your proposal, CCGA will offer support that may include:
- A food allowance
- Material support (i.e. a port-a-potty or seating)
- Suggestions for panel or workshop speakers
- Technical and marketing support (flyers, signage, registration, maps)
- Other event-specific support