Plots to Plates Organic Community Garden is located on the grounds of Carmel Middle School. Not…read moregonna lie: I didn't know this existed until a couple of months ago when my 3rd grader had a field trip here and I was one of the parent helpers. I arrived at the garden and was like, "What the heck? I've been to this school multiple times and I never saw this entire garden ecosystem flourishing here?" But yeah, there's a community garden at the back of Carmel Middle School! So good. To get to the garden, use the entrance by the tennis courts and then drive all the way back to the woods. This community garden is used often in the spring for Carmel Clay school field trips, but it's also used by the community as a place to plant and harvest produce. According to the website, the space is intended for public gardening, education and community fellowship. You can apply for one of the 123 garden plots available to the general public and schools. Garden plots are 4 feet by 15 feet. There is usually a waitlist for these garden plots, but you can get on the waitlist by visiting the website. Spots usually open at the beginning of the year. This is a very tidy and nice community garden, and you can tell that the people who use it love it and take care of it. There's a designated space for compost, which is neat. There's also a small playground at the garden, which is nice for people who visit with children: the kids can play while and adult gardens.

This is part community garden, part art garden. In addition to the the plants and veggies, you will…read morefind some eclectic art I this garden. It is located along the Monon Trail and is directly behind the Union Brewing Company. It is not a very big garden, but has lots of personality. There are colorful painted bicycle hubs on the outside of the fence and lawn sculptures and other decorations on the inside. There are also a couple of picnic tables off to the side of the picnic table that are painted in bright colors as well. The garden was created in 2012 by local resident Andrew Fritz, after a doctor inquired about his diet following a serious bicycle accident. The garden is currently managed by Brandon and Sheri Leum. The garden's purpose is to grow and give away organically grown produce to the Carmel United Methodist Food Pantry, provide a space for planting, and to support ecological health. They also allow those in need to get whatever they want directly from the garden. So, in other words, I really love its mission. For $50 you can reserve a bed in the garden. But you must follow their guidelines and strict requirements. The main stipulation is that anyone can take from the garden. This garden serves as a community meeting spot where, the owners have claimed to have met people of all walks of life. There is ample free parking in the lot that belongs to the businesses in the strip mall that the garden is behind. I like this spot. It is kind of secluded and peaceful. I visited during the winter, so not much was growing, which is a shame. I hope to make it back when this place is in full bloom and has come to life. It is definitely worth checking out. As Fritz put it, "This is a spot where people can come and sit without having to pay for anything. They can simply sit and receive."

The Gleaning Garden is a community garden located in the middle of suburbia, a place not typically…read moreassociated with urban or community gardening. Specifically at the Monon Square Shopping Center Based on a combination of researching before creating this page online, as well as talking to the mildly intoxicated drunk dude who approached my girlfriend and I while we were browsing the garden, I found out a little bit of the purpose behind this garden. The Gleaning Garden is essentially a community garden started by a combination of residents and business owners who operate in the strip mall. The Garden area is owned by the strip mall. Some of the business owners actually use the garden either for home-use or to use within their restaurants, while others are just gardening for fun. The garden's main purpose is to help people experiencing food insecurity within Hamilton County. Anyone experiencing food insecurity is free to take what they want straight from the garden. The garden is also periodically harvested and donated to a church's food pantry. There are two garden entrance gates on the east and west ends of the garden. There is also a path leading to the garden from the strip mall, as well as a path through the small clump of trees that also lead to the garden. There are a few structures within the trails. The garden also features a few lawn ornaments which are...uh...unique. This is a quirky and fun community gathering spot in a suburb that really doesn't do that kind of thing often, so stop by next time you're on the Monon. Current also has a write-up about the Gleaning Garden: http://youarecurrent.com/2018/08/28/a-healthy-harvest-as-gleaning-garden-grows-so-does-its-ability-to-help-food-insecure/

How cool! This place is a hidden gem right behind Tulip Tree apartments near the IU campus…read more There are a lot of beautiful things to see here. Tons of plants and flowers! The smell of flowers was amazing. The staff are friendly and eagerly told me to check everything out and enjoy. There are shaded areas and sunny areas outside as well as a greenhouse. All is open to the public for free. There were many benches along the site too so if you got tired you could rest. My father in law was feeling tired in the sun so he enjoyed resting on a bench in the shade. Decorations are lovely, atmosphere welcoming and scenery just amazingly beautiful. They do have events occasionally and it looks like students and the public are welcome to enjoy the scene or even learn about gardening. Overall, a lovely way to spend some time if you are a nature lover like me!

From the owner: Hilltop Garden & Nature Center was first established by IU Biology Professor, Barbara Shalucha in…read more1948. Hilltop has primarily focused on youth gardening, but has expanded its reach throughout the University and surrounding community to provide opportunities to learn about different gardening practices and connecting with nature.

It's great to see new generations of farmers! Urban gardening is a great way to make headway in…read moremaking food deserts a thing of the past.

This greenspace is located behind Cleo's Bodega Grocery and Café and in front of the Flanner House…read more This space was awarded by IPL as part of their Project GreenSpace program in 2018, in partnership with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Groundwork Indy and the Center of Wellness for Urban Women. Previously it was a vacant lot, that was transformed into the greenspace you see today. It has some information placards, some stone seating, and rectangular shaped garden space. There is also rock paved walkways and a garden pergola. Unfortunately, I visited during the cold months, so there were not plants or blooms. The greenspace was dead. I hope to return in the spring and see this place come to life. The space is intended to be a place where local residents can pick fruit, care for fruit trees, learn about nutrition, and participate in activities such as yoga and community parties. The greenspace has a huge parking lot that belongs to the Flanner House right behind it, so parking is not an issue. I recommend checking this place out during plant season. In addition to being a garden, it is somewhat a peaceful and soothing spot to just sit and chill. Even though it is located right off of a busy street.

This orchard and community garden is open to the public. People are free to gather the food that…read morethey need that grows from this garden, which makes me really happy. I love that the community cares for this garden, and the community is invited to enjoy its bounty. When I visited during the winter, the Flanner House Orchard was covered with snow and didn't have any fruit or vegetables growing. I'm looking forward to coming back to see what it looks like in the summer when things are blooming!

Small grassy area near the Humane Society in town where you can actually register for your own…read moregarden space to plant flowers, veggies, or whatever. Mostly for apartment dwellers, or others who have no garden space, who want to plant a garden. I don't think anyone would steal your veggies here, except for maybe the rabbits, ha. Also is a nice place to walk you dog around for a bit and to play. It's never busy here, being a small town and all, it's probably not even hardly known. But I think its a cool resource and use of the land there. It's always kept mowed and nice looking by the town.

Very scenic and interesting park that I stumbled across by accident while ironically attending a…read moreyelp event down the street with my family and some of my daughters friends. There is a small gravel parking lot behind this church and park area. The park area has some really cool and interesting sights. The winged man statue, a tiny door, a cool angel statue, and a nice wooden gazebo with a clock painting at the top. The guard rails had handcuffs attached to them so the kids had fun with that. Tiny place but it packs a lot of cool and interesting sights in it. They also have some picnic tables over to the right to sit and relax or have a picnic. Overall this adorable and peaceful park was a nice surprise and based on it only having one review so far it's a hidden gem for the new Albany area. Cool place that any park or public art person should absolutely check out. I'm glad we stumbled upon this place by accident.

While I was sightseeing and exploring in New Albany I came across this garden. It took me a second…read moreto find it once I found it I walked around explored saw the statues in the gazebo and a nice little garden area that it had. My buddy told me about this place so I decided to check it out and he was right it's a nice little addition to the area

Known as a pocket park with a purpose, this is a small park nestled away in the Hawthorne…read moreneighborhood. It is literally behind 2 houses. It dates back to 2013, and was created after receiving a Project Green Space Grant from KIB.You can find parking in front of one of the houses, but keep in mind that parking is only allows on one side of the street. It is a small art park, that use to be an abandoned lot that was full of illegally dumped trash and furniture and drug paraphernalia. The first thing that yo notice when you see the park is it's bright yellow 1964 Pontiac Bonneville sitting vertical. You will also find bench seating and a picnic table around the car and a fire pit with some stump seating around it as well. The fence is painted with a rainbow version of the city's skyline. In addition to serving as a place to display public art, the park serves as a place that local residents can garden. There are also some fruit trees there. You will also find this home to many species of local native vegetation. Events are hosted at the park throughout the year such as Art in the Park. So, outside of one of these special events, you probably will not spend a lot of time at this park. It is however, a nice place to see and has a wonderful backstory about a neighborhood coming together and doing something positive in their community. And plus you get to see some cool public art (for free) and it provides for some awesome photos.

This used to be an abandoned lot, and now it's a beautiful space for the community. You gotta love…read morethe great things that can happen when residents come together to make their neighborhood better. Purpose Park is a pocket park in the Hawthorne neighborhood. It's on a quiet, residential street, and you would probably drive right by it, except for the fact that there's a yellow 1964 Pontiac Bonneville planted right in the the ground at the entrance of the park. It's a photo op for sure, but also practical: The bottom of the car has been smoothed and is used as a projection screen for neighborhood movie nights. It's a small little park, but it serves the local residents by being a place to plant vegetables (there is a raised bed community garden here). There are also fruit trees and grape vines that surround the park. There's a casita that's used for community performances. There are wooden stumps that circle a fire pit that the neighbors use for summertime campfires. According to Purpose Park's Facebook page, this pocket park is a meeting area for community events, such as Easter egg hunts and other gatherings. I love pocket parks so much, and this little one is a great addition to Indianapolis' amazing community spaces.

With the new exercise equipment and color coded walking paths, exercise is now more user friendly…read more Of course, I miss the danger of falling from the top of the slide or banging the sides of the witch's hat on the pole, but I love this park.

This park reminds me of a kid's room: There is a little bit of everything of interest all thrown…read moretogether into one location. Like a lot of parks, they have shade trees, a large playground, basketball and tennis courts, and decent parking around the park. There is also a swimming pool and a community center on the north end. There are several paved walking loops around the park contained within the one way road that loops around the park. But here are some things you might be surprised by: A Girl Scout Cabin that is an authentic log cabin. A tank sitting near the entrance A miniature golf park by the highway (fee required) A Bandstand that can double as a shelter and from the back, looks like a castle turret An extended slide that sits on top of a hill with tunnels that run through it. The slide starts on the hill and finishes on the bottom for a long ride! An elevated sand box inside a stone castle, i.e. a sand castle! The park is filled with fun things to see and do. It seemed to be generally in good condition. It may not have been planned from scratch, but it makes the best of the odd assortment of pieces collected there. Review #2986