This community garden was established in 2011 by then Alderman Gene Schulter. It was a dirty lot…read morebefore it was developed into this green urban space. It is completely organic, adhering to strict standards to keep it that way. I have had the pleasure of helping maintain the garden since the beginning. It is very well run by the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber, along with many really awesome community gardeners from the area. Plots vary from vegetable gardens to zen areas and we even have some hops growing from year to year. If you are interested in participating, contact the chamber. There is a waitlist for plots that you can be added to. The garden is usually locked but if you come by when some of the gardeners are around, you are more than welcome to walk through and admire the hard work as long as you respect the space.

Great product and service. The owner took time to meet with me to discuss my concerns, which was…read morereassuring. The beds are beautiful and will be so helpful in growing vegetables! Don't wait too long to get your own raised beds - life is too short to work with poor soil conditions. Create your own good soil condition by getting these raised beds and enjoy the results!

Can't recommend enough... Michael was super helpful, quick…read moreand nice throughout the purchase and install. The bed looks great and we can't wait to start planting our first garden this year.

I was walking down Chicago Avenue when I was stopped by an enthusiastic young boy pointing me in…read morethe direction of the market. I have walked by this garden many times and was always curious about it. I told the boy that I would be back later in the afternoon. I am glad I did. I just bought a large bag of beautiful looking Spinach for $2-- the young farmers here host a farmers market on Saturdays. I'm not sure what time it starts but it ends at 3. The garden is a part of an organization called Growing Power. Yelp them to find out more. From the website-- The garden is located in the quickly changing neighborhood adjacent to the Cabrini-Green row houses. The garden is a traditional community garden with free plots allocated to individual gardeners. Since its inception, Growing Power has supplied the materials, assisted in designing and building the space, served on the garden's planning committee, provided daily staff and technical assistance during the growing season, and developed and implemented a youth curriculum for neighborhood kids and new gardeners. The gardens 36 biological worm system raised beds were built on top of concrete and have been abundantly producing fresh vegetables and fruits. This garden is designed to create dialogue, community engagement and empowerment as well as introduce a source for fresh, safe, healthy, homegrown produce to the community. The site is also the gathering space for many of the children living in the neighborhood. Garden staff provide a multi-disciplinary curriculum for the two-hundred plus children who visit the garden during the season. Children have the opportunity to learn math through counting and adding tomatoes harvested from the Pizza Garden and to read poems under the pumpkin teepee.

El Paseo Community Garden is one of those things that defines the greatness of Chicago. Humble…read morebeginnings of vacated land made way for the sunlight and brought neighbors together. Plants, specifically edible varieties of fruits, vegetables and herbs are the focus, but there are beautiful flowers and indigenous prairie species in abundance as well. Translated to English, El Paseo means the way. The name speaks to this green spaces role as a path connecting two streets, as well as an approach to life in the city that generally speaking is the way for us all to stay sane and even happy living together in the vast urban jungle of Chicago. Growing things together.

This garden area is Divine. The love, loyalty, giving & hardworking is beyond average. It feels…read morelike home & like family to me. In my honest-to-God opinion, I don't think there's anywhere on the planet, could compare to or is equivalent to what is done, accomplished and shared at this garden.

I wanted to wait to write this review until I had more information about it, but, alas, that hasn't…read morehappened. Nevertheless, I want to share the goodness that Sweetwater shares with the community, so here goes! As you can see from the pictures, there is an abundance of verdant goodness being grown here, and a portion of it is free to the community and general public for the picking. Apparently, there is also a farmer's market of sorts with very reasonable prices on Saturdays around noon-ish. I first learned of the Sweetwater Foundation during my undergrad years when the director was one of my Community Development professors. SWF is all about regenerative social justice, and does awesome work teaching aquaponics, urban agriculture, and the like to inner-city students. Anyhoo, I was looking for organic greens for a client, and a friend directed me here. Upon arriving, I saw the plethora of veggies growing, but couldn't locate a soul! I called my friend back, because I knew I had to be in the right place. I didn't, however, know how/who to pay, or just how to go about procuring my goodies. I was told to merely pick what I needed and keep it moving. How amazing is that?! UPDATE ALERT***UPDATE ALERT****UPDATE ALERT***UPDATE This farm is, actually, a part of the Perry Avenue Commons complex. See link below for full details. https://www.sweetwaterfoundation.com/perry-ave-commons/

I had a wonderful dinner with JD and Mike and they are wonderful chef's and it was soooo hospitable…read moreand the house is beautiful. Worth checking out

Chicago Bell Garden was a much needed, unique experience for me and my partner recently. The…read morelocation is a relaxing atmosphere tucked away in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city. The owners were able to accommodate dietary restrictions as you watch them make the meals from scratch with most ingredients pulled fresh from the surrounding garden. I recommend asking the owners for one of their specialty cocktails that they can easily pair with your meal. And at the end of the meal, we rang the bells to celebrate our evening. It was such a fun extra touch. Highest recommendation!!!

Big, bold and beautiful. They've thought of everyone's needs.and wants. Simply the best of the best…read morecommunity gardens.

I've gardened here for several years. All the amenities listed in the review from 2015 are still…read morethere. Great group of gardeners and a cohesive organizing team that goes above and beyond. There is a gleaning program for plots with extra produce and donation plots are used to grow food for the church food pantry. Finally, I should mention that this garden has an irrigation system. It takes extra work to run the system, but it is SO HELPFUL during heat waves.

I second what the previous reviewer said about the water being in an uncovered filthy trough. See…read morephoto. After bringing up the matter to the garden managers, there were no changes, only an offer to scrub the sides of the trough. We tried to bring our own water to garden, but ultimately that was a ridiculous endeavor, since we paid to have access to fresh water to water our garden. Never grew a thing because who wants to bring their own water to a community garden, after paying a fee to garden? Like the other reviewer said, we paid for a box of dirt. The woman who started this project left Chicago long ago and I don't know who is at the helm at the moment.

This review is about their two day annual edible plant sale held on May 15 & 16, 2021…read moreat: Chicago Market Grocery Co-op Building 4620 N. Broadway Chicago, IL 60640 What an amazing experience...this was their 9th annual edible plant sale for warm weather crops. All of the tables were set up in squares so people could walk around and view all of the amazing offerings. What a colossal variety of offerings. I purchased a Brandywine Tomato plant to grow on my balcony. It was $5.99 for a 4 inch healthy and hearty plant! Already a week later it continues to thrive and grow taller with more leaves! I could not be happier. The seedling offerings included: Tomatoes - Amish Paste, Black from Tula, Black Krim, Brandywine, Yellow Brandywine, Sweet Red Cherry, Black Cherry, Chocolate Cherry, Cherokee Purple, German Johnson, Green Zebra, Mortgage Lifter, Paul Robeson, Rutgers, San Marzano, Sungold, Taxi, Yellow Pear, and Tomatillos Peppers - Sweet Banana, California Wonder, Orange Bell, Purple Bell, Red Bell, Yellow Bell, Anaheim hot, Cayenne hot, Habanero hot, Jalapeno hot, Pepperoncini hot, Poblano Ancho hot, Serrano hot Eggplant - Black Beauty, Rosa Bianca, White Cucumber - Adam Gherkin, Diva, Marketmore, Mexican Sour Gherkin, Pickling, Straight 8 Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower Cabbage, Collards, Kale (green, red, Dino) Greens - Arugula (regular, Wasabi), Lettuce (Butter, Gourmet Mix, Romaine), Mesclun Mix (regular, spicy), Sorrel, Spinach Squash - Butternut, Delicata, Gold Rush compact yellow summer, Spacemiser compact zucchini, Peter Pan (patty pan), Pie Pumpkin Edible Flowers - Calendula, Echinacea, English Daisy, assorted Nasturtiums including Alaska, Empress India, Fordhook, Gleam, Jewel Herbs - Basil (many types), Chamomile, Chives (regular, garlic), Cilantro, Dill, Fennel, assorted Lavender, Lemon Grass, Marjoram, assorted Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, assorted Sage, Summer Savory, Tarragon, assorted Thyme, also some unique herbs such as Mexican Pepper Plant (Root Beer Plant), East and West Indian Lemongrass, Rue, and Tea Tree An Overview of the Peterson Garden Project- "Founder LaManda Joy, inspired by her own parent's involvement in WW2, discovered that the empty lot at Peterson and Campbell had once been a Victory Garden. With the hope of doing something positive on this historic piece of empty city land and "teaching 20 people how to grow their own food" our project was born." Source: https://www.petersongarden.org/ FYI- The Victory Gardens were established to help sustain the fruit and vegetable supply by encouraging and creating local gardens during the World War II effort to provide individuals and families across the United States with access to food. Victory Gardens in Chicago: "During World War II, Chicago led the nation in urban food production with its Victory Gardens program of 1,500 community gardens and more than 250,000 home gardens. The city's North Park neighborhood was also home to the largest Victory Garden in the United States." Source: https://www.loc.gov/item/webcast-5196 Learn More about the Chicago Victory Garden Movement and the founder of the Peterson Garden Project LaManda Joy by clicking the link below: https://www.loc.gov/item/webcast-5196

I will be honest, I'm on the planning committee for this garden so I'm completely biased about how…read morewonderful I think it is. The plot fees are $40 for the year and each gardener gets 100 sq feet of at least 18" of high quality compost/topsoil (80/20). There is a lot of community space for hanging out or grilling, and the community herb garden is well tended by the gardeners and neighborhood kids. Nothing can replace the serene beauty or community of the 61st Street Garden but this is lovely in it's own way. There are three other lovely gardens in Woodlawn, Brickyard, 65th & Woodlawn Garden, and Ellis View Garden. Way to go Woodlawn!

This is my first year as a member and it has been a good one. The leadership is open, friendly and…read moreworks hard to cooperate. Continuing to develop the site; water & tools always available and a chance to meet new friends. I highly recommend membership. Paul Myers

Love the Farmers Market and I was so excited to find out that they'll be around through October…read more They have lots of farmers that sell fresh veg and fruit, bouquets, fresh baked breads and pastries, eggs, cheese, artesanal items and more! I love the vegan basket place (see photo)...so many delicious options. Today I tried the chorizo black bean but had the breakfast scramble last time. Everyone working there is so friendly, gives recommendations and will tell you all about their business. I highly recommend- the park and the booths are beautiful and a wonderful way to spend a Sunday morning!

Nothings says summer like going to a farmers market on the weekend. Wicker park farmers market is a…read morecute small farmers market. They had a lot of different vendors who were selling fresh veggies, fruits, candles, clothes, desserts, bagels, matcha and much more! It was pretty busy too. We tried some matcha and fresh coconut water and walked around a bit. The fountain in the middle of the park was cute too.