Community gardens are particularly important to the elderly, disabled, and disadvantaged individuals in urban areas. Most often, the community garden is developed under the leadership of a group, such as the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society (Bonham, 1988, 1991), the Chicago Botanic Garden (Brogden, 1991), or other not-for-profit associations (Carrier, 1985) interested in horticulture and using it to improve the quality of life and the appearance of the community. These gardens are located near the people who need them and are run by the people of the community (Dotter, 1994; Keller, 1994; and Mattson et al, 1994). The Cooperative Extension Service of the U.S.D.A. has been influential in establishing community gardens in order to improve the nutrition of the people gardening, to develop leadership skills among these people, and to help them improve their communities in many other ways (Patel, 1991). Other organizations, such as the American Community Gardening Association, have resources available for assistance in establishing community gardens.
