"Growing More Than Gardens"
What is it like growing a garden at my home or in my community? This interactive StoryMap looks to answer this question
Introduction
If you’re on this page, chances are you are home gardener, community gardener, or garden enthusiast looking to learn more! Well, you’ve come to the right place. This StoryMap highlights how to get involved in gardening, the real experiences of several gardeners throughout Tampa Bay, and the importance of our water resources as a coastal community. Keep scrolling to learn more about this research study!”
Gardens in Tampa Bay
One way to get involved in gardening is through community gardens. Community gardens are "community-managed green spaces" that support the cultivation of individual and community health through sharing knowledge and resources. 5 They engage persons of all ages deepening the bond between generations and passing on cultural practices which may otherwise be lost. Anyone can start or join a garden. All that is required is a desire to learn and have fun.
Click on the points below to explore community gardens throughout Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, and Hernando County. Be sure to check each garden’s websites or social media pages.”
Motivation
When we first embarked on this research journey, we were inspired by the resilience and vigor of the East Tampa community. Mrs. Lena Young Green, Ms. Kitty Wallace and Ms. Michele Ogilvie approached us with the Healthy 22 nd Street Initiative and the vision to reimagine the stormwater pond located on N 22 nd Street and E. Chelsea St. as a garden park. Their other vision was to potentially use the water collected in the pond to irrigate this garden
East Tampa experiences food and health justice challenges where residents lack access to nutritious fruits and vegetables. In addition to this, East Tampa residents have long pushed for the revitalization of these lacking stormwater infrastructures to include community amenities like playgrounds, walking paths, and seating areas. 1 The Clarence Fort Freedom Trail is one example of the 5 successful beautification projects completed in East Tampa.
However, more is still to be done as many residents still consider the other 31 stormwater pond spaces located in this community as “eye-sores” 1,2 . This unique positioning of gardens for food production and stormwater ponds allowed for an exploration of the food, water, and nutrients landscape through interviews with gardeners in the area as well as throughout Tampa Bay.
Community Stories
Healthy 22nd Street
It was quickly made clear to use that gardening has made a huge impact in the lives it has touched. For instance, watch the Healthy 22nd Street Community Garden in the news here: https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local-news/from-garden-to-table-growing-in-a-food-desert.”
Tampa Heights Community Garden
Community gardens provide an educational and social space for the younger generation as discussed in the following news clip above.
Tampa Well Food Pharmacy and Community Garden
A great example of how community gardens can influence and encourage healthy eating habits within communities is expressed in this article about Tampa Well Food Pharmacy https://www.fox13news.com/news/tampa-initiative-helping-underserved-neighborhoods-improve-their-health-and-wellness
Harvest Hope Community Garden
They are a great way to combat food scarcity in neighborhoods as discussed in the news clip on Harvest Hope Community Garden.
We interviewed a total of 24 residential and community gardeners as well as best management practices experts throughout Tampa Bay and here were some quotes that stood out to us.
Gardening was important for several gardeners, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when already limited resources became even more scarce. Destiny Camellia describes her experience growing medicinal herbs and nutritious food during this time in the quote below.
So we, we grew the things that we needed but more from COVID with not being able to go into hospitals and not having access to certain things…I knew I had to heal myself and my family. So I started saying, hey, I can order this herb, but I live in Central Florida so I can grow it.
Gardeners also viewed gardening spaces as places where they could strengthen community ties like Tiffany Sage, describes below
…[It] Serves as like a place where food can be, you know, grown and accessed. And, it can be like… not just about food, it's also about like, the people who are growing the food together. So there's like that community building aspect, which, like, it's kind of hard to access that too. I think sometimes. I mean, especially after the pandemic, that's become a big…theme in our lives...
Many gardeners shared similar sentiments to Esther Leek who describes gardening as therapy
…It is such therapy, I walk around, and I talk to the plants. Like I think about, you know, world issues, you know, sometimes I have a good cry, and then I start to feel better. And I realized that, you know, just the whole process of life is like right here in front of me. You know, and…then I walk away with a big bundle of greens and I go home… I feel like one of the luckiest people on the planet
Water and Place
There are many variables to consider when gardening such as a reliable water source, nutrients (such as healthy soil and fertilizer), equipment, and of course time and labor. With this project, we wanted to better understand this landscape and how these factors affect gardeners. Additionally, we wanted to get a general understanding of perceptions on alternative water sources such as from reclaimed water, rainwater harvesting, and water collected in stormwater ponds (as we mentioned above) to irrigate edible crops.
Irrigation Sources used by Gardeners in the Tampa Bay Region
One of the major findings of this study was that the majority of gardeners irrigate with water from the city followed by rainwater, well water and reclaimed water. City water seems to be the most reliable with some gardeners occasionally using other sources to help mitigate high water bills and conserve water.
We also found that partnerships and land tenure are important aspects to having a reliable water source as Marigold Santiago and Denise Belle share in the following quotes
(Embed starting a community garden)
…I think we need commitment to land in perpetuity. This…thing that this community garden went through moving locations 3 times is extremely exhausting to move. Because if you’ve ever grown anything, you have to start all over again and…they have to completely build the soil up again and build the gardens up again. And they’re huge.
Bearss Groves
If you watch what happened at Bearss Groves which is like a farmers market…they dealt with like a fine of like hundreds of thousands of dollars just to continue to sell their own produce…and that’s why building the city support for this kind of approach to community work would just allow for that those barriers to be reduced down the road.
Rainwater harvesting is a 2 nd popular water source. Extension offices like the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Hillsborough County Extension hold rainwater harvesting workshops for county residents to learn how to collect rainwater: https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/hillsborough/?topic=agriculture and https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rainwater-harvesting-workshop-in-person-tickets-943767823967
Some gardeners like Daisy Moore shared that while they have a rainwater barrel for collection, some challenges arise with installation and not enough rainfall.
Do it yourself Rain Barrel System
The rain that comes isn’t enough rain to do anything. But when it does rain, we capture and we use little watering cans, and we just hand water throughout the garden as best as we can.
While only a few interviewees mentioned reclaimed water, entities like the City of Tampa and UF/IFAS encourage the use of reclaimed water for landscapes. However, it is important to keep in mind salt and pathogen content. Reclaimed water can be used directly on plants if they are peeled or thermally processed before being consumed. If edible crops have been irrigated indirectly with reclaimed water, they are considered safe to consume. Check out the UF/IFAS EDIS publication on using reclaimed water in your Florida-Friendly Edible Landscape: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/EP628 ”
While stormwater ponds have not been used to irrigate edible crops, they have been used for irrigation of ornamental plants in other areas such as parks and golf courses 3. Many gardeners echoed the Coalition and East Tampa residents’ sentiments on these spaces as seen below.
Knowing how important these spaces are to the community and to aquatic environments in Tampa Bay, researchers at USF are working to monitor these spaces for reuse potential and nutrient concentrations that eventually will lead out to Tampa Bay.
Food for Thought
Nutrients are important for healthy soil, thriving garden beds and lush landscapes. But unfortunately, too much of a good thing can lead to negative consequences.
Excess use of fertilizers, which contain nutrients such as Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium (can be seen in the N-P-K ratio (i.e. 12:12:12)), can negatively impact surface waters through eutrophication.
Photos of Algae Blooms across Florida
Eutrophication can result in harmful algae blooms causing fish kills, economic losses and health concerns for the public.
Gardeners can make a difference in reducing nutrient inputs into the environment. As discussed below:
For instance practicing composting enriches Florida’s sandy soil and improves water holding capacity.
A large reason why Florida has fertilizer bans in the summer months is due to Florida’s soils having a low ability to hold nutrients. The UF/IFAS Extension Office also holds composting workshops for Hillsborough County residents.
In our study we found that gardeners use a wide variety of nutrient sources from fish emulsion to bone meal to general organic fertilizers to animal manure. There is not a one size fits all nutrient source and each gardener adopts the practice that is most fitting for them and their garden.
In talking to folks about fertilizer and nutrient sources, we learned that the type of nutrient source they apply and the rate in which they apply depends on several factors. It can depend on donations they get from their community, time commitment of volunteers and their own responsibilities, and access to different nutrient sources (i.e. in-store or making it at home)
Similarly to water management, partnerships and personal connections were very important amongst gardeners for not only accessing nutrient sources but learning how to create their own fertilizer and nourish their soil.
Whether it is at home or in the community, these dynamic garden ecosystems can provide a multitude of benefits from providing food to preserving cultural traditions. When managed sustainably and equitably, these gardens can help reduce environmental burdens and foster healthy communities. As you’ve heard from folks throughout this StoryMap, these spaces are meant for connections and learning so don’t feel as though you have to be an expert to start a garden or make a difference in your community. All it takes is a seed.
As one of our fearless community leaders says,
We are growing more than just gardens.
This work is supported by grants from TBERF and the National Science Foundation (2230710, 2142714, 1735320). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funders.
References and Resources
1. Carrasquillo, M. E. (2020). Black Lives Matter in Engineering, Too! An Environmental Justice Approach towards Equitable Decision-Making for Stormwater Management in African American Communities. USF Digital Commons. https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/9020
2. Wells, C., Henderson, M., Sohl, R., Trotz, M. (2023). East Tampa - Jazzy Seniors: Photo compilation of an oral history. USF Digital Commons. https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/werise_jazzyseniors2023/1
3. Seereeram, D., Dewey, C., Swingle, T. (2009). The Stormwater Harvesting BMP - An Overview & its Enhanced Importance in the Forthcoming Statewide Stormwater Treatment Rule. Devo Engineering. https://www.devoeng.com/workshops/OCU_Dec-10-09/OCU_Dec-10-09.pdf
4. Communications, I. (2024, August 5). UF/IFAS extensionhillsborough county. Hillsborough County - University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences - UF/IFAS. https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/hillsborough/?topic=agriculture
5. Rainwater harvesting workshop - in person. Eventbrite. (n.d.). https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rainwater-harvesting-workshop-in-person-tickets-943767823967
6. Ask IFAS - Powered by EDIS. (n.d.). ENH1364/EP628: Reclaimed water in your Florida-friendly edible landscape. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/EP628
7. Community gardens | soil science society of america. (n.d.). https://www.soils.org/about-soils/community-gardens
8. Silvasy, T. (2024, August 8). Edible landscaping in Central Florida. UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County. https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/hillsboroughco/2024/06/06/edible-landscaping-in-central-florida/
9. Silvasy, T. (2023b, August 28). Tips for Florida homeowners on fertilizing plants. UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County. https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/hillsboroughco/2023/05/17/tips-for-homeowners-on-how-to-fertilize-plants/
10. Home. BlueGAP. (2022, June 24). https://blue-gap.org/