Seeking A Garden-Friendly City? Here’s the List.

The Force is strong when it comes to growing your own food, but how do you mix an urban lifestyle with a passion for getting your hands dirty?

It seems everyone has a green thumb these days. During the last year, staying close to home meant tackling long-delayed projects inside and outside your home. And digging into gardening during tough times is nothing new. It became a hobby for many during WWII, as new Victory gardens sprouted all over, as a way to save money on food and soothe anxiety.

But gardening is a passion that’s likely to stay, even as the pandemic fades. And increasingly, along with greener building options, you want the freedom to grow your own greens. Urban gardening is all about making the most of your growing space—be it in your backyard, on your patio, or at a community garden plot. 

What if you have a small home and a tiny yard? You can still make the most of every inch.

Vertical gardens and container plants make it easy to maximize space. Beyond that, many neighborhoods have community gardens you can sign up for. These come with an added bonus: You can meet your neighbors and fellow gardeners who’ve been holed up for a year, and maybe trade some extra tomatoes from your garden plot for carrots or onions from a fellow green thumb?

Not every city or neighborhood is equally friendly toward urban gardeners, however. For example, some, like Portland, Maine, offer the convenience of curbside compost delivery and food waste pickup. Places with homeowner associations, however, may actually deny you the ability to do certain kinds of planting. 

So how do you know if your dream City is gardener friendly? Fortunately, there’s a new study out that helps. LawnStarter’s Best Cities for Urban Gardening ranking makes the choice of where to move for gardening bliss much more transparent. 

While many of the best cities for urban gardening are in sunny climates, like No. 1 city Ft. Laurderdale,  Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp’s The Hoosier Gardener can help you garden where the sun doesn’t shine as much. Sharp is based in Indianapolis, where gardening can be a challenge during the winter months. 

After all, a house is not just about sticks, bricks, and countertops. Young home buyers may picture their dream home not with a white picket fence, but with solar panels on the roof, a home office, and smart gadgets inside, and a garden in the backyard.          

In fact, if you really want to get into a house that is fully about you, you might want to check out this free Homebuyer Guide. It’s full of hacks for affording and buying a house, condo, or tiny house, even during this mad time of excessive prices and scarce availability.

After all, urban gardening started the whole farm-to-table trend. Why go to a restaurant when you can serve garden-to-table meals you grilled and served on your patio? Dine outside instead of dining out—that’s another way growing your greens saves you green.

Jeff Herman is editor-in-chief of LawnStarter, which makes it easy for homeowners to book lawn care and other outdoor services.

Publisher’s Note: This content is made possible by our Today’s Home Buyer Campaign Sponsors: Panasonic, Whirlpool, Rockwool, and Lee Industries. These companies take sustainability seriously, in both their products and their operations. Learn more about building and buying homes that are more affordable and less resource-intensive on Today's Home Buyer.