Rules

Trust and respect are the basis to make Shared Garden work long-term. Gardening projects take place in someone's garden, a private location. Trusting each other and respecting the garden owner's privacy are key to make gardening projects a success. Before diving in a project together, we therefore suggest taking the time to get to know each other better.

Shared Garden aims to bring people together and no profit should be made from it. Shared Garden will not take any responsibility for any loss, damage or injury incurred during gardening projects.

Shared Garden features both a matchmaking system and a map to find potential matches for a gardening project. The matchmaking system is based on preferences, such as distance from your location and type of gardening project, e.g. vegetable garden or a flower garden. Alternatively, you can use the map feature to see availabilities of garden owners or garden seekers. Once you found a potential match, you can then send them a request.

Once you found a potential match, you can send them a request via the messaging system. In your first contact, it's good to introduce yourself and describe your interests for a gardening project. Once contact is made, we highly suggest meeting up to get to know each other better and discuss preferences regarding a gardening project together. If it's a match, it's time to start planning your gardening project together.

Planning your gardening project together ensures you both know what to expect and be happy with what you are working towards. Depending on the state of the garden, more planning may be required to lay out the groundwork before you can plant the first seeds. After that, it's mainly a decision on what you want to grow, and where each plant is best placed in the garden. Via the Shared Garden platform, there will be guides available in the future for both new and experienced gardeners, including suggestions depending on the effort you'd like to put in your gardening project. This ensures gardening remains accessible for all!

First of all, gardening doesn't require complicated or expensive tools or equipment. Ideally, tools and equipment are made available by the garden owner, but if not, simple tools can already be purchased relatively cheap. If purchases needs to be made before starting your project, make sure to have a good agreement who will purchase what and how costs will be split. The same goes for seeds and plants, ensure you are in agreement who buys what and how costs are split. We strongly suggest to discuss the materials and their related costs in advance, so everyone knows what to expect.

At launch, Shared Garden will also release a tool to track costs made during your gardening projects, including a calculator to split the costs based on your agreements.

Once your gardening project is defined, you can get started. The following guidelines should be kept in mind, as following these will help make every gardening project a success!

• Communicate clearly: planning for a gardening day or you won't make it a day? Keep each other informed about availabilities.
• Be respectful: hosts open their gardens to garden together. Yet, these gardens remain private property. Always be respectful towards the host's privacy. Of course, respect goes both ways.
• Be kind: Shared Garden is a community of humans and every garden project is an opportunity to learn something new. Be curious, be open and be kind when talking to each other.

Eventually, harvest time will come and you will be able to gather the fruits of your labour (hopefully literally!). Ensure you are on the same page how you want to approach and distribute the harvest, so that everyone is happy. Again, we suggest to discuss the harvesting topic before you start your gardening project.

Gardening is meant to be a fun and relaxing experience. It's also a great opportunity to meet new people and build new friendships. Enjoy the time spent in the garden, planting seeds, getting your hands dirty and gathering the harvest, together!