The summer growing season is here, and while you might expect to find veggies, fruits + flowers in all the usual spots – grocery store shelves, farmers markets, and even your CSA box – you might not know that Asheville has a network of edible gardens, plantings + projects open to the public.
Well, now there’s a map for that. The Asheville Edibles Map is an interactive guide to the city’s many edible gardens created by the Office of Sustainability + the Asheville Buncombe Food Policy Council. A goal set forth in the City’s Food Policy Action Plan, edible landscaping is part of a larger initiative that also prioritizes healthy ecosystems, sustainability + community resilience.
Here are four of the gardens + projects we’re berry excited to know about, which are listed on the Asheville Edibles Map:
🍓 Elder & Sage Community Garden | 37 Page Ave., Downtown
At the corner of Page Ave. across from the Grove Arcade, this community garden is on property owned by the City of Asheville and includes flowers + edible plants. Follow them on Facebook to see more of what they’re up to.
🍓 Riverside Cemetery | 53 Birch St., Montford
This historic cemetery is not only where famous folks like O. Henry + Thomas Wolfe are buried, it’s also home to flowering + fruiting trees including persimmon, apple, mulberry, pear + serviceberry trees. Read more about Riverside Cemetery here.
🍓 Stephens Lee Center & Dr. George Washington Carver Edible Park | 30 George Washington Carver Ave., East End
This grove next to the Stephens Lee Center is the oldest community forest on the East Coast and is filled with edibles, including fruits + nuts. They’re also on Facebook.
🍓 Dr. Wesley J. Grant Southside Center | 285 Livingston St., Southside
This edible garden is filled with redbuds + fruit trees. DYK: The buds of the redbud tree can be eaten fresh or pickled for a springtime treat. Bonus: The Southside Center also has a Green Roof.
Want to start your own community garden to add to the Edibles Map? Asheville’s Community Gardens Program pairs people with unused plots of City-owned land through Bountiful Cities. Here are the details you’ll need to apply to start a community garden. The City also has an Urban Agriculture Lease Program + an Adopt-A-Spot program, where citizens can plant pollinator or edible gardens around town.
Check out all of what’s poppin’ up on the Asheville Edibles Map here, and then share the feast with your friends. 🍒