Bronx Green-Up, the community gardening outreach program of The New York Botanical Garden, supports the community gardens of the Bronx. At present, more than 150 gardens exist in the borough, where local members grow food and flowers, beautify their blocks, and provide open spaces for neighbors to enjoy. Each year, Bronx Green-Up provides technical assistance to these gardens through horticultural workshops, volunteer workdays, and events such as our annual Harvest Festival.
The urban gardens we work with are vibrant public spaces located in some of the most culturally diverse neighborhoods in the world. Community gardens are a reflection of the people who tend them. Some, like the Garden of Happiness, feature herbs from Central America, including papalo and pepicha, which are seasonally available at the local farmers market. At El Flamboyan Community Garden, members play dominoes in front of their casita while the Puerto Rican flag flies higher than the trees. In Drew Gardens, students of all ages use the garden for learning: there is water-quality monitoring in the adjacent Bronx River; a butterfly conservation area to teach the importance of pollinators; and more than 40 families growing food each growing season. Each garden is a little bit different, just like each New Yorker or each neighborhood. Yet all feature a welcome flush of green, sprouting from the concrete.
At A Glance
- Region
North America - Country
United States - Area
New York City - Latitude
40° 51′ 48.9996″ N - Longitude
73° 52′ 41.9988″ W - Partners
Community gardeners in the Bronx are volunteer stewards of urban green space in their neighborhoods. Some gardens are affiliated with the local schools, community organizations, and the New York City Parks Department’s Green Thumb program. - Ecosystem
Urban spaces in coastal temperate climate - Cultural Scope
Plants used for culinary, medicinal, and ceremonial purposes are cultivated by Bronx community gardeners, many of whom hail from countries around the world.
