Community gardens are a great way to enjoy the pleasure of communing with nature and growing your own food. They provide people in urban areas with a plot for growing and others, who may be more fortunate in the area of land, to bond with other gardeners. Many of Wilmington’s community gardens exist in the downtown area, where building and planning hasn’t really allowed for extensive green spaces. Over the past few years, the City of Wilmington has become more garden-friendly, permitting the building of community gardens in city parks.
Below is a list of public community gardens in Wilmington. These are gardens that welcome the public to participate. For many, it’s area neighbors that maintain and harvest the plots, the excess being donated to local food banks. There are other community style gardens ran by churches and private organizations, but they’re only open to their members, so we have not included those here. They can be viewed at the North Carolina Community Gardens Directory.
Each community garden has its own manager and set of rules. Some may be first come, first served. Others may require you to be vetted before you’re allowed to participate. They may even require a yearly or monthly fee to help pay for amenities onsite. Each garden has a limited number of plots. 10-30 plots is common, but some may be less than 10. It’s important to call the manager to see how it works.
Updated March 2018 to add more community gardens.
Public Gardens
Annie Nixon Community Garden (Est. 2016)
Location: 904 Dock St.
Plants: Vegetables/Herbs/Flowers
Type: Public
Managed by: Wilmington Green – 910-240-4929
Castle Street Community Garden
Location: 317 Castle St
Plants: Vegetables & Herbs
Type: Private Land – Public/Neighborhood Garden
Managed by: Kathryn Sisler – 908-670-1590
Diversity Garden (Est. 2018)
Location: 1101 Castle Street at Wilmington Sportsman Club
Plants: Vegetables/Herbs/Flowers
Type: Private Land – Public/Neighborhood Garden
Managed by: Wilmington Green – 910-240-4929
Elements Garden (Est. 2015)
Location: 718 South 3rd St.
Plants: Vegetables/Herbs/Flowers
Type: Youth Garden
Managed by: Wilmington Green – 910-240-4929
Glover Plaza Community Garden (Est. 2017)
Location: 1402 Little John Circle (Wilmington Housing Authority)
Plants: Vegetables/Herbs/Flowers
Type: Private Land – Public/Neighborhood Garden Maintained by Residents and UNCW ECO.
Managed by: Wilmington Green – 910-240-4929
Hillcrest Community Garden (Est. 2017)
Location: 1402 Meares Street (Wilmington Housing Authority)
Plants: Vegetables/Herbs/Flowers
Type: Private Land – Public/Neighborhood Garden Maintained by Residents and UNCW ECO.
Managed by: Wilmington Green – 910-240-4929
NHRMC Community Garden (Est. 2017/2018)
Location: 1415 Physicians Drive at NHRMC
Plants: Vegetables/Herbs/Flowers
Type: Private Land – Public/Neighborhood Garden Maintained by Hospital Volunteers
Managed by: Wilmington Green – 910-240-4929
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Portia Mills Hines Park
Location: 400 N. 10th Street
Plants: Vegetables & Flowers
Type: Public
Managed by: Do you know? Leave a comment!
The Strong Roots Community Garden
Location: 1125 North 4th Street
Plants: Vegetables & Herbs
Type: Public
Managed by: Savanna Mitchell – 828-817-0048
A few of the schools in New Hanover County have gardens. They provide a calming learning experience and provide food for kids who may be lacking proper nutrition. Parents may find this information interesting when choosing a school. For the public, it’s important to know that these gardens are for staff and students only, and access may be determined by class enrollment.
Schools with Gardens (Serves Students and Staff Only)
Bellamy Elementary School Garden
Location: 70 Sanders Road
Plants: Vegetables
School website: Bellamy Elementary School
Island Montessori Charter School
Location: 6339 Carolina Beach Road
Plants: Vegetables, Fruits, Flowers, & Herbs
School website: Island Montessori Charter School
Snipes Academy School Garden
Location: 2150 Chestnut St
Plants: Vegetables & Fruits
School website: Snipes Academy of Arts and Design
The Gardens at Wrightsboro Elementary
Location: 1-65 Sheridan Drive
Plants: Vegetables & Fruits
School website: Wrightsboro Elementary School
Churches with Gardens (Maintained by Church Members & Volunteers)
Bridge of Love Garden (Est. 2016)
Location: 1219 Forest Hills Drive – St. John’s Episcopal Church
Plants: Vegetables/Herbs/Flowers
Serves: Church members and neighbors willing to donate 1/2 of produce to the local needy.
Managed by: Wilmington Green – 910-240-4929
Devon Park UMC (Est. 2015)
Location: 3403 Winston Boulevard
Plants: Vegetables/Herbs/Flowers
Serves: 15 refugee families, as well as several church members and neighbors
Managed by: Wilmington Green – 910-240-4929
Disciples Community Garden (Est. 2017)
Location: 2035 Oleander at First Christian Church
Plants: Vegetables/Herbs/Flowers
Serves: Church members and neighbors
Managed by: Wilmington Green – 910-240-4929
Do you know of a community garden that isn’t listed here? Please share it in the comments. Also, let us know if you’ve participated in any of the Wilmington area community gardens. We’d love to hear about your experiences.
Is your neighborhood interested in starting a community garden for non-commercial use on city-owned land, like a neighborhood park? You can apply here. For New Hanover County properties outside of the City of Wilmington, you can direct all questions to NHC Parks & Gardens.
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