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Gardening at Work: Tips for Getting Started

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June 11, 2015

It might seem like an odd concept at first but more and more companies are creating corporate or workplace gardens. What a fabulous idea! Not only does it give everyone an opportunity to have access to organic crops but gardening has a reputation for relieving stress. A ten minute break with your hands in some soil could be exactly what you need to get through the rest of a hectic day. If you are interested in trying to bring this trend to your office, here are some suggestions.

Spark Interest

Do your research and find some articles about other offices that have successfully implemented community gardens. Print them out and place them in common areas so that people can read the information at their leisure. Avoid being annoying or pushy and start by casually mentioning it to coworkers. If their interest is piqued, consider bringing it up at a group meeting. If you have a decent relationship with your supervisor, ask them their opinion and go from there.

Start Small

If you get the green light, it might be tempting to run out to a hardware store to grab a bunch of supplies only to be overwhelmed by how you’re going to get it all done. Instead, start by learning how to grow a plant or two and identify the area where the garden will be established. Give people time to get used to the changes and watch the excitement grow along with your plants!

Organize a Schedule

Once things get going, it will be much easier to keep up the momentum if a schedule is in place. Break up tasks such as shopping for supplies, weeding, watering and harvesting and then print out a signup sheet for volunteers. The more organized things are, the better your chances at having a successful community garden.

Nominate a Leader

If the office gardener seems annoying in how much they want to inject their opinions and offer advice, nominate them to spearhead the project. Unless you know more, put your pride aside and let someone with experience and a natural green thumb be the leader. Once people start fighting over cucumbers and tomatoes, you’ll be glad that responsibility is off your shoulders!

A workplace garden can be a great way to make wellness an ongoing conversation and priority among coworkers, it can be a team-building activity and a great way to relieve stress. If you’ve been thinking about it, try these tips to see if your office can be the next success story!

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