Workplace gardening has become an increasing trend and is incredibly popular among employees. Establishing a garden that employees can tend to during break periods promotes relationships, teamwork and camaraderie. A workplace garden also provides a sense of wellness, stress and anxiety relief, and encourages healthy living.
Starting a workplace garden takes selecting an appropriate location in or around the organization’s location, planning, and physical effort. It’s a project that requires active participation, ongoing maintenance and responsibility. It’s also a great location for creative conversations, problem solving and serves as a community area where teammates can gather and chat while actively moving and getting away from a desk or other workspace.
Here are a few tips to get started.
A great location is imperative. You’ll want to select a convenient, sun-lit area near or attached to the organization’s location. Start small. If a section of land isn’t available, select a window area for a potted garden. As the popularity and success of the garden grows, expand accordingly!
Recruit a garden team or committee. Make the announcement during a company-wide meeting and consider asking for volunteers and a chairperson. It will also be important to provide a budget or a list of materials that will be supplied by the organization. Encourage everyone to actively participate in designing the garden space, select the supplies needed, and the best seeds to plant for the season.
It’s time to plant! Plan a day with the team and dedicate a timeframe to plant. Make sure the crops or pots are marked as to avoid future confusion and to assist with tending to the plants with the appropriate water and nutrients. Add some festivity to the activity with drinks, snacks or lunch and some fun music.
Maintenance is essential for the garden’s success. Create a calendar with the list of duties and who will be responsible for the tasks. Be sure to account for weekends, holidays and those who may be on vacation. Tasks to perform will include watering, weeding, pest control, picking ripe fruits and vegetables, and other maintenance as necessary. The garden may also require seasonal planting so you’ll want to add that aspect to the calendar as well.
Enjoy the fruits of your labor! Plan a harvest day, share the fresh produce with everyone or plan a luncheon where all of the fresh items are used to prepare healthy dishes.
Starting and maintaining a workplace garden will produce great experiences for years to come! The team will enjoy tending to the project, fresh produce, flowers, wellness and physical activity which are all rewarding results for any organization.
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*Southland Data Processing, Inc. (“SDP”) is not a law firm. This article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon in reaching a conclusion in a particular area of law. Applicability of the legal principles discussed may differ substantially in individual situations. Receipt of this or any other SDP materials does not create an attorney-client relationship. SDP is not responsible for any inadvertent errors that may occur in the publishing process.