Horticulture as Catalyst for Social Interactions
Groups or movements using horticulture as the catalyst for social interactions span a broad range of organizations. Research has validated the health benefits, both psychological and sociological, of social interactions contributing to sense of community, social cohesion and social affiliation (Tam, 2014). The horticulture for health framework (Fleming, 2021) uses two subsets in this category:
Apolitical groups- (master gardeners, garden club, horticulture groups, green industry trade
organizations, school gardens)
Political/Social change groups- (food alliances, food literacy non-profits, community gardens, urban
farms)
Note: Urban farms, community gardens & school gardens straddle several horticulture for health categories including horticulture as a catalyst for social interactions. More detailed resources for these have been included in Landscapes for Health category.
Apolitical groups- (master gardeners, garden club, horticulture groups, green industry trade
organizations, school gardens)
Political/Social change groups- (food alliances, food literacy non-profits, community gardens, urban
farms)
Note: Urban farms, community gardens & school gardens straddle several horticulture for health categories including horticulture as a catalyst for social interactions. More detailed resources for these have been included in Landscapes for Health category.
Photo: A. Earl.unsplash
APOLITICAL GROUPS AS A CATALYST FOR SOCIAL INTERACTIONS
Research has revealed that social connections and interactions are an important element of human health (Lavasseur et al., 2010). Apolitical groups like master gardener programs, garden clubs, horticulture groups (Rare Fruit Councils, American Horticulture Society etc.), and green industry trade groups affiliate using horticulture as a common bond. Their social interactions focus on networking, creating sense of community and community service. These have a high degree of volunteerism and promote social interactions.
Research has revealed that social connections and interactions are an important element of human health (Lavasseur et al., 2010). Apolitical groups like master gardener programs, garden clubs, horticulture groups (Rare Fruit Councils, American Horticulture Society etc.), and green industry trade groups affiliate using horticulture as a common bond. Their social interactions focus on networking, creating sense of community and community service. These have a high degree of volunteerism and promote social interactions.
Key organizations
Books, journals & epublications on HORTICULTURE AS A CATALYST FOR SOCIAL INTERACTIONS/APOLITLCAL GROUPS
American Journal of Community Psychology
Public Garden magazine (American Public Gardens Association)
Research Digest (Children & Nature Network)
The American Gardener magazine (American Horticultural Society)
Public Garden magazine (American Public Gardens Association)
Research Digest (Children & Nature Network)
The American Gardener magazine (American Horticultural Society)
Research & articles on horticulture as a catalyst for social interactions/apolitical groups
Recently published selected research & articles:
Boyer, R. Waliczek, T.M. & Zajicek, J.M. (2002). The master gardener program: Do benefits of the program go
beyond improving the horticultural knowledge of the participants? HortTechnology 12(3), 432-436.
Companion, M. (2016). Lessons from ‘The bucket brigade”: The role of urban gardens in Native American cultural continuance. In J.C. Dawson and A. Morales (Eds), Cities of Farmers: Urban Agricultural Practices and Processes, University of Iowa Press, 126-140.
Dicke, L.A. & Saitgalina, M. (2014). How can professional membership associations provide meaningful value for their members? Creating models of affiliation and engagement. Paper presented at: American Society of Association Executives Foundation Membership Engagement Models of the Future Award. American Society of Association Executives Foundations.
Hanson, B.M. (2012). Growing health: Community gardens and their effect on diet, physical and mental health and community. Electronic Theses and Dissertations. University of Central Florida.
Heilmayer, D., Reiss, N. and Buskirk, M. (2020). Community gardens cultivate positive experiences for refugees. Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture 30(1), 25-35.
Leavell, M.A., Leiferman, J.A., Gascon, M., Braddick, F., Gonzalez, J.C. & Litt, J.S. (2019). Nature-based social prescribing in urban settings to improve social connectedness and mental well-being: A review. Curr Environ Health Rep 6(4):297-308. doi: 10.1007/s40572-019-00251-7
Mejia, A., Bhattacharya, M. & Miraglia, J. (2020). Village Community Garden & Learning Center. Community gardening as a way to build cross-cultural community resilience in intersectionally diverse gardeners: Community-based participatory research and campus-community-partnered proposal. JMIR Res Protoc 9(10):e21218. doi: 10.2196/21218
Noone, S. & Jenkins, N. (2018). Digging for dementia: Exploring the experience of community gardening from the perspectives of people with dementia. Aging Mental Health 22(7), 881-888. doi: 10.1080/13607863.2017.1393793
Okvat, H. and Zautra, A. (2011). Community gardening: A parsimonious path to individual, community and environmental resilience. American Journal of Community Psychology 47, 374–87. doi: 10.1007/s10464-010-9404-z
Ong, M., Baker, A., Aguilar, A. & Stanley, M. (2019). The meanings attributed to community gardening: A qualitative study. Health Place 59:102190. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2019.102190
Poortinga, W. (2012). Community resilience and health: The role of bonding, bridging, and linking aspects of social capital. Health and Place 18(2), 286-295. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2011.09.017
Scott, T.L., Masser, B.M. & Pachana, N.A. (2020). Positive aging benefits of home and community gardening
activities: Older adults report enhanced self-esteem, productive endeavours, social engagement and exercise. SAGE Open Medicine 22;8. doi: 10.1177/2050312120901732
Soga, M., Cox, D.T., Yamaura, Y., Gaston, K.J., Kurisu, K. & Hanaki, K. (2017). Health benefits of urban allotment gardening: Improved physical and psychological well-being and social integration. Int J Environ Res Public Health 14(1):71. doi: 10.3390/ijerph14010071
Tam, A. (2014). Empowering citizens in a global era: A grounded theory study of community gardens. All Dissertations. Paper 1437. Clemson University.
Boyer, R. Waliczek, T.M. & Zajicek, J.M. (2002). The master gardener program: Do benefits of the program go
beyond improving the horticultural knowledge of the participants? HortTechnology 12(3), 432-436.
Companion, M. (2016). Lessons from ‘The bucket brigade”: The role of urban gardens in Native American cultural continuance. In J.C. Dawson and A. Morales (Eds), Cities of Farmers: Urban Agricultural Practices and Processes, University of Iowa Press, 126-140.
Dicke, L.A. & Saitgalina, M. (2014). How can professional membership associations provide meaningful value for their members? Creating models of affiliation and engagement. Paper presented at: American Society of Association Executives Foundation Membership Engagement Models of the Future Award. American Society of Association Executives Foundations.
Hanson, B.M. (2012). Growing health: Community gardens and their effect on diet, physical and mental health and community. Electronic Theses and Dissertations. University of Central Florida.
Heilmayer, D., Reiss, N. and Buskirk, M. (2020). Community gardens cultivate positive experiences for refugees. Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture 30(1), 25-35.
Leavell, M.A., Leiferman, J.A., Gascon, M., Braddick, F., Gonzalez, J.C. & Litt, J.S. (2019). Nature-based social prescribing in urban settings to improve social connectedness and mental well-being: A review. Curr Environ Health Rep 6(4):297-308. doi: 10.1007/s40572-019-00251-7
Mejia, A., Bhattacharya, M. & Miraglia, J. (2020). Village Community Garden & Learning Center. Community gardening as a way to build cross-cultural community resilience in intersectionally diverse gardeners: Community-based participatory research and campus-community-partnered proposal. JMIR Res Protoc 9(10):e21218. doi: 10.2196/21218
Noone, S. & Jenkins, N. (2018). Digging for dementia: Exploring the experience of community gardening from the perspectives of people with dementia. Aging Mental Health 22(7), 881-888. doi: 10.1080/13607863.2017.1393793
Okvat, H. and Zautra, A. (2011). Community gardening: A parsimonious path to individual, community and environmental resilience. American Journal of Community Psychology 47, 374–87. doi: 10.1007/s10464-010-9404-z
Ong, M., Baker, A., Aguilar, A. & Stanley, M. (2019). The meanings attributed to community gardening: A qualitative study. Health Place 59:102190. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2019.102190
Poortinga, W. (2012). Community resilience and health: The role of bonding, bridging, and linking aspects of social capital. Health and Place 18(2), 286-295. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2011.09.017
Scott, T.L., Masser, B.M. & Pachana, N.A. (2020). Positive aging benefits of home and community gardening
activities: Older adults report enhanced self-esteem, productive endeavours, social engagement and exercise. SAGE Open Medicine 22;8. doi: 10.1177/2050312120901732
Soga, M., Cox, D.T., Yamaura, Y., Gaston, K.J., Kurisu, K. & Hanaki, K. (2017). Health benefits of urban allotment gardening: Improved physical and psychological well-being and social integration. Int J Environ Res Public Health 14(1):71. doi: 10.3390/ijerph14010071
Tam, A. (2014). Empowering citizens in a global era: A grounded theory study of community gardens. All Dissertations. Paper 1437. Clemson University.
Examples of horticulture as a catalyst for social interactions/apolitical groups
Garden Club of Madison install Gothic High Tunnel hoop houses in New Jersey.
Honor Center Garden & Sanctuary Garden, Gainesville FL.
Support from master gardeners including garden design, fundraising & ongoing volunteerism keep the garden & its programs operational.
Sarasota Garden Club, Sarasota, FL.
Activities are social and community focused & include volunteering at botanical gardens, Ringling Secret Garden, Orange Blossom Community Garden, and more.
Honor Center Garden & Sanctuary Garden, Gainesville FL.
Support from master gardeners including garden design, fundraising & ongoing volunteerism keep the garden & its programs operational.
Sarasota Garden Club, Sarasota, FL.
Activities are social and community focused & include volunteering at botanical gardens, Ringling Secret Garden, Orange Blossom Community Garden, and more.
Videos & webinars on horticulture as a catalyst for social interactions/apolitical groups
Learning series joint initiative from National League of Cities, Children Nature Network, National Recreation and Park Association & Justice Outside with a variety of topics online related to children’s access to nature.
Children and Nature Network’s resources online: benefits of nature, equity & inclusion, families, youth.
Saving the world with gardening TedXAdelaide looks at this activity as a platform for physical activity, inclusion and more.
Gardening as a social activity video highlights university students connecting through gardening.
Children and Nature Network’s resources online: benefits of nature, equity & inclusion, families, youth.
Saving the world with gardening TedXAdelaide looks at this activity as a platform for physical activity, inclusion and more.
Gardening as a social activity video highlights university students connecting through gardening.
Related organizations
Written & compiled by Lesley Fleming Oct 2021
POLITICAL/SOCIAL CHANGE GROUPS AS A CATALYST FOR SOCIAL INTERACTIONS
Research has revealed that social connections and interactions are an important element of human health (Lavasseur et al., 2010). The focus of this resource page is on social interactions involving horticultural activities, and those promoting social/political change related to food security. These types of social interactions foster sense of community, social cohesion and social affiliation (Tam, 2014). The type of organizations that fall into this category include food alliances, food literacy non-profits, community gardens and urban farms.
Additional resources on food action, types of gardens (school, community gardens, urban farms), and different aspects of food security can be found in Food, Nutrition & Food Action category and Landscapes for Health category.
Research has revealed that social connections and interactions are an important element of human health (Lavasseur et al., 2010). The focus of this resource page is on social interactions involving horticultural activities, and those promoting social/political change related to food security. These types of social interactions foster sense of community, social cohesion and social affiliation (Tam, 2014). The type of organizations that fall into this category include food alliances, food literacy non-profits, community gardens and urban farms.
Additional resources on food action, types of gardens (school, community gardens, urban farms), and different aspects of food security can be found in Food, Nutrition & Food Action category and Landscapes for Health category.
Key organizations
Civil Eats – a weekly epublication with articles related to health, food security, food + policy,
environment, food justice, farming
Food Alliance
environment, food justice, farming
Food Alliance
Books, journals & epublications on HORTICULTURE AS A CATALYST FOR SOCIAL INTERACTIONS IN POLITICAL/SOCIAL CHANGE GROUPS
Nettle, C. (2014). Community gardening as social action. Routledge.
Research & articles on HORTICULTURE AS A CATALYST FOR SOCIAL INTERACTIONS IN POLITICAL/SOCIAL CHANGE GROUPS
Recently published selected research & articles:
Alaimo, K., Beavers, A.W., Crawford, C., Snyder, E.H. & Litt, J.S. (2016). Amplifying health through community gardens: A framework for advancing multicomponent, behaviorally based neighborhood interventions. Current Environmental Health Reports 3(3):302-12. doi: 10.1007/s40572-016-0105-0.
Bice, M.R., Ball, J., Bickford, N., Bickford, S.H., Hollman, A., Coughlin, A., Dinkel, D., Meyer, R.C. & Ranglack, D.H. (2018). Community gardens: Interactions between communities, schools, and impact on students. The Health Educator 50(1).
Community Good Centres Canada. (n.d.). Mental health benefits of community gardening.
https://cfccanada.ca/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=8a96a260-4617-4017-879d-e83d0d6a876a.
Egerer, M., Fouch, N., Anderson, E.C. & Clarke, M. (2020). Socio-ecological connectivity differs in magnitude and direction across urban landscapes. Science Reports 10(1):4252. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-61230-9.
Glover, T.D., Parry, D.C. & Shinew, K.J. (2005). Building relationships, accessing resources: Mobilizing social capital in community garden contexts. Journal Leisure Research
37(4):45-74. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222216.2005.11950062.
Heilmayer, D., Reiss, N. & Buskirk, M. (2020). Community gardens cultivate positive experiences for refugees. Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture 30 (1), 25-35.
Levasseur, M., Richard, L., Gauvin, L. & Raymond, E. (2010). Inventory and analysis of definitions of social participation found in the aging literature: Proposed taxonomy of social activities. Social Science Medicine
71(12): 2141-9. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.09.041.
Lovell, R., Husk, K., Bethel, A. & Garside, R. (2014). What are the health and well-being impacts of community gardening for adults and children: A mixed method systematic review protocol. Environmental Evidence 3, 20.
Mehta, K., Lopresti, S. & Thomas, J. (2019). Addressing nutrition and social connection through community gardening: A South Australian study. Health Promotions Journal Australia 30 Suppl 1:5-8. doi: 10.1002/hpja.235.
Mmako, N.J., Capetola, T. & Henderson-Wilson, C. (2019). Sowing social inclusion for marginalized residents of a social housing development through a community garden. Health Promotions Journal Australia 30(3):350-358.
doi: 10.1002/hpja.225.
Okvat, H. & Zautra, A. (2011). Community gardening: A parsimonious path to individual, community and environmental resilience. American Journal of Community Psychology 47, 374–87.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-010-9404-z.
Tam, A. (2014). Empowering citizens in a global era: A grounded theory study of community gardens.
All Dissertations. Paper 1437. Clemson University.
Alaimo, K., Beavers, A.W., Crawford, C., Snyder, E.H. & Litt, J.S. (2016). Amplifying health through community gardens: A framework for advancing multicomponent, behaviorally based neighborhood interventions. Current Environmental Health Reports 3(3):302-12. doi: 10.1007/s40572-016-0105-0.
Bice, M.R., Ball, J., Bickford, N., Bickford, S.H., Hollman, A., Coughlin, A., Dinkel, D., Meyer, R.C. & Ranglack, D.H. (2018). Community gardens: Interactions between communities, schools, and impact on students. The Health Educator 50(1).
Community Good Centres Canada. (n.d.). Mental health benefits of community gardening.
https://cfccanada.ca/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=8a96a260-4617-4017-879d-e83d0d6a876a.
Egerer, M., Fouch, N., Anderson, E.C. & Clarke, M. (2020). Socio-ecological connectivity differs in magnitude and direction across urban landscapes. Science Reports 10(1):4252. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-61230-9.
Glover, T.D., Parry, D.C. & Shinew, K.J. (2005). Building relationships, accessing resources: Mobilizing social capital in community garden contexts. Journal Leisure Research
37(4):45-74. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222216.2005.11950062.
Heilmayer, D., Reiss, N. & Buskirk, M. (2020). Community gardens cultivate positive experiences for refugees. Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture 30 (1), 25-35.
Levasseur, M., Richard, L., Gauvin, L. & Raymond, E. (2010). Inventory and analysis of definitions of social participation found in the aging literature: Proposed taxonomy of social activities. Social Science Medicine
71(12): 2141-9. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.09.041.
Lovell, R., Husk, K., Bethel, A. & Garside, R. (2014). What are the health and well-being impacts of community gardening for adults and children: A mixed method systematic review protocol. Environmental Evidence 3, 20.
Mehta, K., Lopresti, S. & Thomas, J. (2019). Addressing nutrition and social connection through community gardening: A South Australian study. Health Promotions Journal Australia 30 Suppl 1:5-8. doi: 10.1002/hpja.235.
Mmako, N.J., Capetola, T. & Henderson-Wilson, C. (2019). Sowing social inclusion for marginalized residents of a social housing development through a community garden. Health Promotions Journal Australia 30(3):350-358.
doi: 10.1002/hpja.225.
Okvat, H. & Zautra, A. (2011). Community gardening: A parsimonious path to individual, community and environmental resilience. American Journal of Community Psychology 47, 374–87.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-010-9404-z.
Tam, A. (2014). Empowering citizens in a global era: A grounded theory study of community gardens.
All Dissertations. Paper 1437. Clemson University.
Examples of HORTICULTURE AS A CATALYST FOR SOCIAL INTERACTIONS IN POLITICAL/SOCIAL CHANGE GROUPS
How Urban Farms are Changing Cities –several urban farms in Victoria, British Columbia are visited, exploring the connections between growing food, sustainability, & connections among people, restaurants & cities.
This Detroit Agrihood is Transforming its Community –Michigan Urban Farming Initiative Tour
This Detroit Agrihood is Transforming its Community –Michigan Urban Farming Initiative Tour
Videos & webinars of HORTICULTURE AS A CATALYST FOR SOCIAL INTERACTIONS IN POLITICAL/SOCIAL CHANGE GROUPS
Planting with purpose at Urban Tilth: Civil Eats TV urban farm profile transforming a food desert into community friendly productive space.
Written & compiled by Lesley Fleming Oct 2021