When I first moved into my home ten years ago, I was suddenly the owner of a large, overgrown garden. I had no idea where to start, I had never had to tend to a garen before outside of helping my mother mow the law, also, that was the interest I had at the time.
But now, the bushes and flowers seemed to sprout out of nowhere, and every corner presented a new challenge and I knew nothing of what to do nor what even was growing there. It felt overwhelming—much like stepping into a new community. Where do you begin? How do you contribute meaningfully? How do you feel like you belong?
Over the years, I’ve come to realize that building a thriving community is a lot like growing a garden. Both require a sense of care, patience, and a willingness to dig in, even when things get messy. Here are some of the lessons I’ve learned in gardening that translate directly to fostering a healthy community.
Start with Small Steps and Find Your Place
When you first step into a garden—or a community—it can feel intimidating. There are established structures, unfamiliar faces, and routines that seem to flow effortlessly for everyone but you. In gardening, you don’t try to transform everything overnight. You start with small steps: clearing one bed, planting one flower, pruning one branch, when I first took a look at my garden I created a border in which I could manage and cope with as I got more experienced I put more structure in place and became more confident with moving things around. Similarly, in a new community, the key is to find where you can contribute in small but meaningful ways.
These early contributions, whether a small role in a project or a kind gesture toward a new member, help you find your footing. Gradually, you get to know the landscape of the community, understanding where your strengths and passions can fit.
Nurturing Takes Time, But the Roots Run Deep
A garden isn’t built in a single season. It takes time for roots to take hold and flowers to bloom. Similarly, in a community, relationships don’t blossom overnight.
Community building involves nurturing connections slowly, giving them time to develop organically. As in a garden, where some plants take longer to grow, some community members may take time to find their voice or comfort. Allowing each person to grow at their own pace creates a more inclusive, diverse, and vibrant community. And just like with plants, the connections formed with patience and care are the ones that last the longest.
Pruning and Adjusting: Making Space for New Growth
At a certain point in gardening, it’s less about planting new things and more about tending to what’s there. Some plants need pruning; others might be taking up too much space and need a new spot to thrive. Some simply don’t fit in the way you envisioned, I’ve lost countless shrubs this way, I’ve planted some that have worked out and others that frankly never had a chance. In a community, this is much like understanding who might need new opportunities, whose talents are stifled, or who may need a new role to flourish.
Leadership is about recognizing and making space for members to grow. Just like flowers and shrubs, people need the right environment to shine. Sometimes that means stepping aside or moving others around to create room for new voices to emerge. The process might feel uncomfortable, but it’s essential for keeping the community dynamic and healthy.
Weathering the Storms: Embracing Resilience and Boundaries
In gardening, you quickly learn that not everything is under your control. Mother Nature can be unpredictable, bringing too much rain, harsh frosts, or relentless sun that can undo your best efforts. I live in the South of England, it rains a lot during the year. It also rains when it’s meant to be spring or summer! I have zero control over the weather as much as I might will it to be sunny! . In communities, we face similar challenges: misunderstandings, conflicts, or situations where someone may feel unwelcome despite our best intentions.
A community, like a garden, thrives when it has clear guidelines and boundaries. Setting a code of conduct, modeling respectful behavior, and creating an environment where everyone feels safe and valued are crucial to community resilience. When issues arise, it’s important to address them with empathy and integrity, just as a gardener would tend to a wilting plant or struggling shrub.
The Beauty of Balance: Nourishing What Already Exists
As my garden has begun to feel and look more established, I realized it was less about planting and more about maintaining and nurturing what was already there. Each year, I tended to the perennials, those resilient plants that came back year after year, while adding a few new touches here and there. Likewise, in community, it’s easy to get caught up in trying to constantly expand or bring in new faces, but sometimes the most meaningful work is about supporting and deepening connections with the people already present.
When we focus on nourishing the existing roots, the community becomes stronger, more cohesive, and welcoming to anyone new who arrives.
In the End, It’s About Creating Space for Growth and Connection
Gardening has taught me that a beautiful, thriving space isn’t the result of perfection or total control; it’s the result of care, resilience, and knowing when to step back and let things unfold naturally, I may not always get it right either and that’s ok I’m learning it can’t be perfect but I can learn from gardening and bring that to the next project I work on in the garden.
Building a community follows the same principles. It’s about creating an environment where everyone can feel welcome, contribute in their own way, and have the space to grow.
So whether you’re picking up a trowel or welcoming a new member, remember that each small act, each moment of nurturing, contributes to a vibrant, enduring community. Just like in a garden, you may not see immediate results, but over time, those efforts will bear fruit, creating a space where people—like plants—can truly thrive.
