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. 🍒