Three questions framed this study: (1) what motivates people to volunteer in French community gardens (FCG)? (2) what practices take place in the gardens? and (3) which individual and collective processes are associated with gardeners' experiences in the gardens? Community (shared) gardens are becoming more numerous and popular in France; yet research focusing on community gardens in a French context is minimal. This study was designed to address this gap.
Ten FCGs served as study sites for this research, all in cities with high population density. Each study garden was visited at least 10 times, with each visit lasting at least 2 hours. Some visits occurred during social events in the gardens, including activities for children and families. Field notes and pictures were used to collect data during the visits. Additional data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 30 regular users of the gardens. The interviews were conducted on an individual basis and lasted an average of one and half hours. An aim of the interviews was to understand how FCGs relate to environmental stewardship.
Results indicated that environmental, social, and self motivations were the primary reasons why gardeners participated in the gardens. Fourteen of the 30 interviewees reported environmental motivations -- they wanted to contribute to the environment and felt a sense of responsibility toward the environment. They also wanted to raise people's awareness about the human–nature relationship and to transmit a nature experience to their children. Ten interviewees stated that their first motivation for participating in the garden was to deal with stress in their personal lives. They looked to gardening and engagement with nature for personal and psychological restoration. Some described their motivation as a desire to re-live positive childhood experiences with gardening. Six interviewees cited social reasons -- they wanted to build social bonds and create new social interactions in the city.
Practices used in the FCGs reflected responsible environmental stewardship and creative responses to urban challenges, including competition for land use and soil pollution. Five interrelated processes enhancing both urban nature and people's wellbeing were identified: sensory experiences and contemplation of nature, environmental education, individual and collective organization, social–ecological relationships, and facing local challenges.
This study highlights the value of community gardens in enhancing relationships in cities -- not only toward nature but also among people, including adults and children.
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