Urban gardening — think of rooftop container gardens, vertical plant walls, communal veggie plots — is growing in popularity.
It turns out that Tampa is one of the top cities in the country for urban gardening, according to LawnStarter.
The organization compared the 200 largest U.S. cities based on four categories, broken down into 12 metrics, looking for cities with easy access to gardening space and supplies, an ideal climate, and a big gardening community, according to a news release.
According to the key stats, the top 10 cities best for urban gardening, ranked from first to 10th, are: New York, New York; Atlanta, Georgia; San Francisco, California; Portland, Oregon; Tampa; Seattle, Washington; Miami; Austin, Texas; Pasadena, California; and Orlando.
New York boasts the most community gardens with 775. By comparison, Atlanta, the second-highest, had 120.
To view rankings on community gardens, growing seasons, yard square footages, nurseries and gardening supply stores, and gardening clubs, visit https://www.lawnstarter.com/blog/studies/best-cities-urban-gardening/#rankings.
Only two states, Florida and Illinois, have “Right to Garden” laws on their books, the release said.
Residents should check local ordinances or homeowners association rules to see if there are any restrictions for on-property gardening.
Published April 12, 2023
