Community Gardens in the Corporate World

Company officials are increasingly adding gardening plots to their sprawling sites and headquarters as a perk for employees.

"The 32,000-square-foot employee community garden, its 81 beds planted for the first time this spring, joins a handful of plots nationwide outside such companies as PepsiCo, Toyota and Aveda. Employees plant, weed and putter before work and after, during lunch breaks and on weekends.

Think of company gardens as perks with a purpose.

'Happy employees are productive employees,' says Dave Karlson, site manager at Google's data center in The Dalles, where workers have tilled, seeded and harvested a small communal plot for several years. 'Gardening is a great way people can get away from their desk for a few minutes and check on their tomatoes.'"