WHAT IS A GARDEN COMMUNITY?

"There's something about cultivating fruit trees and plants that makes
people very generous. Whenever you visit or are visited by other gardeners,
there's always a sharing of plants going on between people. This gives
everyone concerned a good feeling. You need to get into growing things to
experience it." -- Melvin Saunders, Creative Alternatives Center
(http://www.braincourse.com/Florida.html)

The Garden Community was inspired by the thought of how friendly and
generous people are who grow and nurture things, as expressed in the above
quote by Mel Saunders, a good friend of mine. I thought, "A community of
gardeners, surrounded by nature, sharing fruits, flowers, vegetables and
seeds, would be a beautiful and wonderful place to live."

The Garden Community would be an eco-village, in a quiet, park-like setting.
It would be a highly supportive, close-knit community, especially attractive
to avid gardeners, or people that just want to live in an "organic," floral
rich environment. The idea, as first conceived, was to create a rural
subdivision designed to attract people interested in organic farming,
gardening and crafts. In addition to avid gardeners, the community would
attract people that want to develop commercial or hobby tree and plant
nurseries, seed farms, greenhouses, herb farms, vineyards, orchards, truck
farms, pick-your-own gardens, apiaries, beneficial insect nurseries, and
small industries producing crafts and natural products as a hobby or
business. The community could have produce stands, natural food stores,
restaurants, juice bars, a spa and health retreat, hiking and biking trails,
and many other attractions that would fit into the garden, park-like
setting.

A community of gardeners would create a special 'synergy' that would be very
supportive of businesses and hobbyists working together, pooling their
knowledge and resources, and sharing plants, seeds and the fruits of the
garden. Everyone could share information and teach each other their special
skills. Businesses would serve and be supported by the community and draw
customers from outside the community. It would be a good place to live and
run an e-commerce (internet based) business. With the proper facilities, a
Garden Community would be a nice location to host conferences, seminars, and
health, recreation, personal growth and environmental type events.

Like any subdivision, the Garden Community would have deed and code
restrictions that set standards for the community. The restrictions would be
designed to control the environment, not so much the people. A large tract
of land would be purchased for the project. Individuals, or groups of
investors, could purchase land within the development, and have full title
to it. They could buy, sell, develop or lease the land, within the limits of
the deed and code restrictions, just like in any other subdivision. Natural
hygienist could buy land as individuals, or as a group, and develop homes,
farms, tenements or subdivisions of their own, within the larger community.
Deed and code guidelines would be similar to those of any city or
subdivision, but they'd be designed to create a more ecological environment.
(More on this later.)

Like a conventional subdivision, land owners would form a community council
that would refine and enforce the environmental code. The Garden Community
will be just like many other conventional subdivisions that exist, and are
being built across the country every day. Development of urban and rural
subdivisions is increasing rapidly because of rapid population growth, and
the desire of many people to flee the confines of the city (more on this
later). Eco-village type land developments are highly desirable to set an
example that other land developments will be inspired to imitate. A large
body of information is available, regarding both conventional and
alternative community development projects, including eco-villages, that can
be consulted to help develop the codes and council guidelines for the Garden
Community. As in the development of any subdivision or land purchase,
lawyers and experienced consultants will be used.

There's nothing unusual or groundbreaking about the Garden Community. The
real difference will be the residents, who are attracted to a cleaner and
more ecological standard of living. The Garden Community will not try to
create a Utopia (which means "nowhere" in Latin). Restrictions should not be
overly stringent in an attempt to create a "perfect" community, or the
community will be small, with few participants, and no control over the
environment outside the boundary of their tiny property (more on this
later). Rather, those who want, and feel they can live up to a more
stringent environmental code, should create a subdivision within the
eco-village, with their own more stringent environmental standards. I expect
this subdivision, with a more stringent environmental code, will have a lot
of support, including my own, but I don't think it'll set the standard for a
very large community. (More on this later.)

Religious traditions tell a story about an earthly garden paradise that
humans were caretakers of, where perfect peace once ruled. There's something
primordial about gardening in our nature that makes people long to create a
refuge of beauty that's a vestige of that earthly paradise. Country people,
close to nature, are well known for their honesty, openness, sharing and
trust. Cultivating the earth, nurturing plants and seeds, watching them grow
through the seasons, listening to birds sing, watching butterflies fly, bees
search for nectar, cherishing the rainfall, watching flowers bloom, and
harvesting and sharing the fruits of the Earth, brings out the warm and
caring nature of human beings. What a beautiful and wonderful place a Garden
Community would be.

The Garden Community is a new idea. It could evolve into anything at this
point. Nothing is written in stone. It'd be a good name for a hygienic
community or eco-village, as it reflects a cornucopia of wholesome food, a
clean environment, organic living and nature's bountiful beauty. The Garden
Community is only one community concept that'll be discussed on this list.
This group is not limited to discussing any one community or concept. So
feel free to join in and share any of your community ideas and proposals.

Everyone is invited to share their experiences, proposals for new
communities, and to promote existing communities. All are welcome to join so
we can learn from one another, and develop a community that's an inspiration
to all.

Sincerely,
Group Manager, Garden Community

³Reform the environment, stop trying to reform the people. They will reform
themselves if the environment is right.² -- R. Buckminster Fuller

Natural Living Garden Community:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GardenCommunity/