Which 10 U.S. Cities Have the Most Community Gardens?

The Ala Wai Community Garden, above, in Honolulu.

These 10 U.S. cities have the most community gardens per capita, according to the Trust for Public Land.

By Jessica C. Wakeman
The Daily Green
August 16, 2010

Excerpts:

Seattle

Seattle’s P-Patch Program provides 68 gardens for residents throughout the city, with plans for four additional gardens by the end of 2009. The program was created by the Department of Neighborhoods and the nonprofit P-Patch Trust in 1973. Their volunteer-run community gardens offer 1,900 plots and serves more than 3,800 urban gardeners on 23 acres of land. With a youth gardening program and a 12.3-ton produce donation last year, Seattle is a city built for horticulturists.

Portland

The Community Garden program has provided gardening opportunities for the physical and social benefit of the people and neighborhoods of Portland, Oregon since 1975. There are 32 community gardens located throughout the city, developed and operated by volunteers and Public Parks & Recreation staff. There is a Produce for People program, which donates fresh produce to local hunger agencies as well as an in-school and after school gardening program. Gardeners can choose from various plot sizes.

Long Beach

Long Beach Organic started as the vacant lot task force, identifying vacant lots and turning them into community garden spaces. Over the past seven years LBO has maintained many gardens, including three community gardens and one demonstration garden at the local nursery. LBO community gardeners come from many ethnicities and grow anything from sugar cane and lemongrass to sunflowers and tomatoes.

Saint Paul

The Blooming Saint Paul program started in 2000 as an initiative to make St. Paul the nation’s ‘Most Livable City’. The community and city departments are working together to make sure greening concepts are included and promoted in key public spaces.
There are 17 community gardens in the city and about half of the gardens are run by non-profits and the other half are open to the public with plots available to rent.

The program has a summer Horticulture Academy as well as a job training program that teaches green living tactics to about 40 kids a summer. The Pioneer Press, St. Paul’s newspaper holds an annual “Golden Bloom” award that honors the best community garden in the city.

Honolulu

Honolulu’s Community Recreational Gardening Program was started in 1975 to provide people living in Honolulu’s densely populated communities access to garden plots. There are 11 community garden sites in the city’s program. Each garden is comprised of individual plots, making a grand total of 1,254 plots for public use. The average size of a garden plot is 100 square feet. Each community gardener pays a nominal usage fee each year of 10 cents per square foot. City funds cover the rest of the expenses, which include salary for the community gardens coordinator and the water bill. The Foster Community Garden (shown here) received a Betty Crocker Landscape Award in 2007 for “Best Use of a Small Public Space”.

See the rest of the cities and photos here.