Find a Garden
Growing Hope has partnered in the development of over 40 community & school gardens throughout Washtenaw County and we are excited to help start even more! Every garden looks different, and we like to categorize them into different types based on their primary goals or functions. Many gardens fall into more than one of these categories:
Neighborhood gardens: Often what people think of as a "traditional" community garden, neighbors often rent or adopt plots-- sometimes for a fee-- most often to grow healthy fruits & veggies.
Learning gardens: When a garden's primary goal is education, whether in a school setting, to encourage intergenerational learning, or to share job skills.
Sharing gardens: While all of our partner gardens that grow veggies/fruits participate in Plant A Row for the Hungry, some gardens' primary purpose is growing food for donation to neighbors in need. Whether to donate to Food Gatherers or distributing directly to neighbors, sharing the harvest helps to increase our community's food security.
Market gardens: When we connect gardening with entrepreneurship-- whether to sell our harvests at farmers' markets, or turn them into a value-added product (think salsa from tomatoes), we become market gardeners. What better than local, green, garden-based business that also feed and beautify our communities?
Healing gardens: Also called horticultural therapy, this type of garden is intent on healing mind and body.
Listed below are some of our partner gardens that have plots available for rental in Ypsilanti. These plots offer a great opportunity to get to know your neighbors, learn more about gardening and have access to space for growing that you might not have otherwise. Each garden is set up different, please email the garden steward listed under each community garden for more information. Growing Hope doesn't manage these gardens-- we just refer you to the volunteers who do!
Perry Community Garden
Located on the corner of Harriet St. and Hawkins St. in Ypsilanti, MI in Parkridge Park. Though once a school garden, Perry is currently being renovted by Growing Hope to accomodate community gardeners using a plot-rental style. The garden also contains donation/gleaning beds. Growing Hope is the current garden steward but we are looking for a new steward. Check out the guidelines and if interested fill out the application that can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.
Midtown Community Garden
Located on the corner of Congress St. and Normal St. in Ypsilanti, MI. Midtown is a neighborhood garden that uses a plot-rental style. Check out the guidelines and if interested fill out the application. The new garden steward is Aaron Krueger; contact him at (734) 634-4791 or email at aaronbkrueger@yahoo.com. As of April 28, there are still plots available in this garden.
West Middle School Community Garden
Located at 105 N. Mansfield St. in Ypsilanti. This partner garden is a neighborhood garden that uses a plot-rental style. Check out the guidelines and if interested fill out the application. The Garden Steward is Jessica Faul 483-4690 or jfaul@umich.edu. See there new website!
Recreation Park Community Garden
This garden is located behind the Senior Center in Ypsilanti on Congress Rd. It is a Neighborhood Garden that rents out plots, check out the guidelines and application. The garden steward is Lisa Bashert, contact her at (734) 483-6420 or wombbat@umich.edu.
Frog Island Community Garden
This garden is a work of art, having been built in 2007 using many creative and reclaimed materials. The Garden Steward is Amanda Betzler, contact her at amandaruthb@gmail.com
Chidester Place Community Garden
Residents at Chidester Place, on the southside of Ypsi near the UAW & Visteon plant, have been gardening in the ground and raised beds (including wheelchair accessible beds) for five years. The garden has both shared area and individual plots. Contact Barbara Heil at 734-483-1664.
Habitat for Humanity Homeowners Garden
Off of West Michigan Ave near Mansfield in Ypsi, this garden is open to new leadership this year. The past garden steward is still figuring out if all of the garden will be available this year. Contact Floyd Robinson,, Family Support coordinator at 734-677-1558 ext. 106 or famcoor@h4h.org.
Gateway Community Garden
Located on West Michigan Ave in Ypsilanti in an apartment complex managed by Avalon Housing. (734) 663-5858.
West Willow Community Garden
Located on Tyler Road in front of the West Willow Community Resource Center, this garden, begun in 2008, provides neighborhood growing space in individual and communal plots. It's also the site for a West Willow Summer Garden Nutrition Camp! Contact Angela Barbash for more information.
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