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The Little Garden that Grew a Community

A garden memoir and cocktails in the glasshouse

Author

Ken Welch
November 13, 2025

The Plot Newsletter

How to Start a Community Garden

The next time you are in an awe inspiring garden, squint your eyes, and tell me what you see. Chances are your gaze will land on an employee with a bucket full of weeds, or a group of volunteers that looked like they may have just broken out of the nursing home. These stewards are the advocates of our most renowned gardens, and without them - these gardens would not exist. What follows is a brief personal story, which I hope will help you to understand the power you have to shape and grow the spaces around you.

10 years ago I was a college student in a small Wisconsin town. The word “broke” is often used to describe college students, but that would have been an understatement. The place I was renting was a dilapidated hovel of a building in a suspended fight with gravity. It had been clear for too many years that gravity would win the bout. The rent was $400 split between two people, which was a bit steep considering the hole in the floor of the entrance that acted like a trapdoor for any unsuspecting guests.

Luckily, I had the naivety of youth, plenty of friends to keep me company, and four dollar pitchers at the local dive bar. I was studying Horticulture at a satellite campus of the University of Wisconsin and warmed up to the local community quickly. I was used to Chicago where you could lose yourself in anonymity. It was always a surprise to run into people I recognized at the grocery store or coffee shop in this little city called Platteville.

There is a habit that I brought with me from Chicago, where it is difficult for me to look at vacant lots without imposing my designs for a better use. The same happened here, where I saw a vacant lot and imagined what it would look like with a community garden. I’m not sure why it was a community garden in particular, but perhaps it was the kindness of the community working its way back through me and into the ground.

The vacant lot that stood out as a good spot for a community garden.

Stories had been told of an old community garden that went to rot, as it was not cared for. Yet, every time I talked to people about a garden, there seemed to be an appetite and agreement that it would be a good thing for the city. The Parks and Rec department posed pragmatic questions like, “Who is going to take care of this thing?” Every garden needs an advocate and I’ve come to realize that it is the most important factor in a successful garden. The project needed more than an aspirational college student to come to fruition and far more to carry on when I graduated.

So, I turned towards community pillars for help. A horticulture professor spent a semester teaching me how to create a design to bring to city hall. The local health food store set out a jar to collect funds from their customers to donate to the project. The Main Street Committee helped to coordinate a volunteer program. My partner and friends offered to help build raised beds and a compost bin. Finally, the city council agreed to hold a vote on if the garden would have a chance to plant its roots. 

The City Council was a mixed bag of characters. Some had been helpful in getting the vote scheduled, while others were classic GOM’s, which is my shorthand for grumpy old men. I brought my binder along and waited patiently while a local resident with grey hair and a lithe build complained ad infinitum about the disconnected sidewalks in the city. He actually started to sound poetic when he exclaimed his dream to one day see all the sidewalks in the city connected. Finally he finished and wandered off into the darkness of the aging night. Some of the now tired council members presented concerns to my proposal for a community garden, such as “What if there are weeds?” and “Will this attract bees? We don’t want bees.” They held a vote to grant permission to the vacant lot adjacent to the park and to turn on the existing water spigot.

They voted to support the project beginning with 4 garden beds and a compost bin. We got started immediately with mixed reviews from the community. Most neighbors supported the project, while a few GOM’s complained. Perhaps they missed the stark beauty of bare dirt and trash on the vacant lot. Regardless, the garden continued to grow. After I moved away, the garden was taken over by volunteers and the Main Street Program. The garden remains their garden, for they are the advocates who keep it running. It’s their unyielding dedication to maintaining the space that is the reason it still exists after 10 years. 

The garden in it’s first year with 4 plots.

To this day, I consider this may be the most important thing I’ve started. A humble legacy to be sure, but if you are ever passing through Platteville, pull into town and find the community garden on Mineral Street. It won’t take you long, for Platteville is a quaint town with a big sky. After 10 years, the garden remains tended and cared for by its volunteers. The all important advocates of the garden.

Ken’s Weekend Almanac

  1. Bake a pie to get warmed up for the upcoming holidays. Last weekend, I made the apple pie below and invited friends over to compete in a British Bake Off party. It was a great excuse to try lots of delicious bakes.

  2. Start a nature journal if you enjoyed last weeks newsletter. It’s a good companion for this season of reflection.

Plotter’s Commons:

Here’s a photo of the apple pie I made recently from Cortland apples. There were no soggy bottoms here!

What is your favorite thing to bake for the holidays? I’m looking for harvest recipes for next week. Reply to this email to let me know!

Do you want a free sticker from The Plot? You can use the link below to share this article. If you bring 2 friends to the party, then I’ll mail you a sticker!

Community Board

Written for 150 beautiful readers. 💌
This newsletter grows best by word of mouth. Forward The Plot to your friend who you’d share a community garden plot with.

Until next Thursday,
Ken Welch

About the Author

Ken Welch is a horticulturist and research professional at UW–Madison. He’s drawn to native ecosystems, community gardens, and helping others grow confidence in their craft.