What seeds of happiness are you planting for the summer? Whether you are a novice gardener or a sage soil sister, we’ve found inspiring gardening groups that are free to join. And these sisterly spaces are bursting with tips on growing your mind, soul or tomatoes.
Each group has a thriving online membership and frequent posts on varied topics, such as how to grow from seed to how to get rid of pests. In online chats members discuss how to support local farmers of color and where to get the best gardening deals. You’ll also find ample opportunity to share photos of your bounty and your garden layout.
“These sisterly spaces are bursting with tips on growing your mind, soul or tomatoes.”
We’ve weeded through dozens of online groups and found five, below, that you’ll want to check out. Then we asked members about the friendships they’re cultivating.
Black Girls Grow Gardens Nationwide Members: 78,100
This Facebook group is part of Black Girls Grow, a nonprofit that brings young women together with older women for educational seminars, gardening and cooking workshops.
“It is a place where young and mature meet and exchange knowledge, encouragement and pride in the beauty of the innate,” member Valerie Green says.
Black Girls Gardening in Containers Members: 31,600
If you're looking for a garden group specifically tailored toward container gardens, you're in the right place! This means edible and nonedible gardens grown in pots, raised beds, buckets, boxes, bags or any other containers. “Let me tell y'all a secret. I've been in this group 2.5 seconds and I've learned more about sisterhood than I have about gardening. I came here for the gardening. I'm staying here for the soul!” Nikki Benson says.
Edible Gardening by Black Girls With Gardens Members: 20,000
This group focuses on gardening to grow your own food and, of course, share your garden wins, losses and lessons. “I was happy to finally find a group for women who looked like me and shared a love for gardening. It feels like home, and the abundance of knowledge shared is priceless,” Princess Cole says.
Black Girls Garden Members: 39,600
Whether your garden is a multi-acre spread or a few pots on your porch, this group supports its most advanced to its more basic gardeners. “It's a safe, supportive community that allows myself and so many others to connect or reconnect with nature,” Denise Grant says. “There are people all over the world in the group that share their gardening triumphs and victories. I love to see so many of us getting out and connecting with nature, growing, producing. And, [we’re] building healthy communities in areas that might be fresh food insecure and reclaiming that green space.”
GirlTrek Gardeners: Food, Flowers, and Fortitude. Members: 1,200
This garden-focused group is affiliated with GirlTrek, a massive group of a million Black women who gather weekly to walk, socialize and support each other in their health journeys. So, it only makes sense that they’d branch out into the world of gardening. “I have always wanted to learn how to garden but jumped at the chance to join the group at the beginning of the pandemic. It provided a way for me to continue my mental, spiritual and physical self-care and helped to combat the negative effects of having to socially isolate. As a registered nurse it was important to me to pour into myself in order to be able to pour into others,” Berlenthia (Lynn) Jones says.
