(Natural News) If you live in the city but you want to start prepping, don't despair. You can start a kitchen garden in your own home, or you can join other preppers and cultivate a community garden.

Community gardens have once again risen in popularity, and this is probably because most city-dwellers live in apartments or skyscrapers, with little to no access to plots of land for gardening. (h/t to ThePrepperJournal.com)

The benefits of a community garden

A community garden refers to a plot of land shared by a group. The garden can either be separated into individual lots or the whole plot can be tended to as one garden. Community gardens are often used for food production or as gathering places. They can also be used to promote ecological and art awareness.

Gardens that follow the European style are usually assigned to a single person or a whole family so they can cultivate ornamentals or fruits and vegetables.

The plots in community gardens can vary in size, from small 1.5 square meter plots (4′ 9″ x 4′ 9″) in inner city gardens to large art gardens about 15 square meters (49′ x 49′).

Communal gardens are versatile, and they are often used to:

Grow flowers and other ornamentals.

Provide education to students from local schools.

Provide gardens for people who don't have access to one like the elderly, the homeless, or recent immigrants.

Provide a "green" space.

Provide habitats for smaller creatures.

There are four main types of community gardens:

Demonstration gardens – These gardens are often used for educational purposes. They may be managed by people who offer classes about gardening. A demonstration can help set up a community garden.

Institutional gardens – Usually attached to public businesses like hospitals or private communities such as prisons, institutional gardens can help improve the mental and physical health of various individuals. They can also teach skills for employment.

Neighborhood gardens – The most common type, a neighborhood can share a garden to cultivate fruits and vegetables. The plots in neighborhood gardens are sometimes rented out.

Residential gardens – These gardens are shared by individuals who live in affordable housing, assisted living, or block communities in cities or towns. Residential gardens are tended to by residents.