Greener growing: assessing the influence of gardening practices on the ecological viability of community gardens in South East Queensland, Australia

While claims about the environmental benefits of community gardens abound, few researchers have systematically assessed the ecological integrity of gardening practices. This study investigated gardening practices in 50 community gardens in Brisbane and Gold Coast cities, Australia. The study aimed t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of environmental planning and management 2015-02, Vol.58 (2), p.189-212
Main Authors: Guitart, Daniela A., Byrne, Jason A., Pickering, Catherine M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Australia
Benefits
Coastal environments
Communities
Community gardens
Ecological monitoring
Ecology
Environment management
Environmental impact
Environmental management
Environmental planning
Environmental policy
Food production
Gardening
Gardens
Gardens & gardening
Gold Coast
Motivation
motivations
Planning
Queensland
Studies
Sustainability
urban agriculture
Urban farming
Viability
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Summary:While claims about the environmental benefits of community gardens abound, few researchers have systematically assessed the ecological integrity of gardening practices. This study investigated gardening practices in 50 community gardens in Brisbane and Gold Coast cities, Australia. The study aimed to better understand how gardening practices might affect the ecological viability of community gardens. Factors investigated included: garden bio-physical characteristics, operators' motivations, gardeners' socio-demographic backgrounds, garden facilities and types of plants grown. Two broad types of gardens were identified: permaculture (21 gardens) and non-permaculture (29 gardens). Permaculture gardens used lower-impact gardening practices. Findings have policy implications for environmental planning and management.
ISSN:0964-0568
1360-0559
DOI:10.1080/09640568.2013.850404