Looking for a park that feels straight out of a storybook? Check out Coxhall Gardens!…read more This is one of my most magical, dreamy spots in Carmel--and it's so much more than a park. Adorable imaginative play area Water pump and sand play area--be prepared to get messy! One slide built into the hillside Endless walking trails, including a colorful ABC path Beautiful native Indiana plants and gardens Two ponds where you can fish Stunning statues, bell towers, murals, and fountains Whether you're looking for a peaceful morning walk, a place for open-ended play, or the perfect backdrop for family photos, Coxhall Gardens is a must-visit. Trust me--you'll want to bring your camera!

What a great area to do all of the following Walk, Stroll,…read moreand explore. These grounds are beautiful and perfect for celebrations. Whether your getting married or turning 15 lol. The place is great for events. I found it just exploring through Carmel.

What a fun experience! How have I driven by this place so many times along the highway and never…read morebeen? I have had it on my hit list for so long and was thrilled to attend their annual plant sale this past weekend. Note to self: it is hopping! It appears that the sale takes place over the course of several weekends. We ended up purchasing okra, tomatillos and a few fun purple tomato varieties. They had live music, Tinker coffee and chickens on hand to round out the experience ;) It was fun to see everyone so fired up for gardening and supporting the cause. I've made a note to attend their Farmraiser for the Parks Alliance in the fall. Keep up the amazing work for our community!

I've been making an effort to review more of my beloved Eastside's businesses, restaurants, and…read morecommunity organizations. As someone who has lived on the Eastside for around 12 years, I've always felt like it gets a pretty high level of disrespect and yet is filled with good people and good businesses. The area surrounding Indy Urban Acres is a weird mishmash of working class, lower income, residential programs, and more challenged areas economically and in terms of crime. It's honestly a perfect location for Urban Acres. It's fairly easy to drive by Urban Acres without completely noticing it. It's a collection of four organic farms dedicated to empowering and educating people by providing equitable access to free, high quality produce. The program has been around since 2011 and has provided farm-to-home workshops and tours to thousands of volunteers, groups, and teens. The staff are dedicated and the volunteers deeply involved in the program. The site itself is semi-accessible. The parking lot is mostly gravelly and, as you might expect from a garden, the majority of the area is ground. However, having been to Indy Urban Acres multiple times I have very little difficulty getting around in my wheelchair. Indy Urban Acres donates 100% of its produce to food pantries and directly to select low-income families. They also grow flowers, however, that they use to help raise funds for the program. You can get these flowers in bouquets at Kroger. You'll know them by the Indy Urban Acres logo and the hashtag #flowersthatfeed. Indy Urban Acres is a program under the umbrella of the Parks Alliance of Indianapolis, a non-profit organization. As a little known secret, there's even a geocache on site here. I'm not telling you where! This is a marvelous program that nicely utilizes what was a vacant lot near 21st and Shadeland while also addressing the food needs in the area and in broader Indy. It empowers youth and also educates adults and children in valuable ways. I can hardly ever drive by this place without stopping to just appreciate their efforts. It's a great project and a valuable asset for Indy's Eastside.

Amazing experience!! So cool for the kids to learn about how syrup is created and to try it as well!read more

Went with the family to check out the Maple Madness free event that they had today! Great job! It…read morewas chilly, but the sun was out and they had fire pits. They went through the history of the park, showed 3 different ways of how they get the sap from the trees and even had some taste testing at the end! It was fun and informative! Thank you!

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!

What a great idea for Fishers residents. This Community Garden is rented for $35 per yr…read more 4/15-10/31. Plant what you want. You're responsible for planting, weeding, watering and tearing down everything at the end of the season. It is located in the back of Cyntheanne Park. The park, one of 25+ parks, has permanent bathrooms, eight pickle ball courts, and a small playground. There are also several fishing ponds with plenty of parking.

Cyntheanne Park It's a smaller playground setup, but…read moreperfect for a quick outing before nap time. There are two play areas (2-5 and 5-12), plus lots of climbing for bigger kids. It's also known for pickleball courts and has great paths for walking or biking!

I stumbled upon this park over the weekend while walking through downtown Zionsville. Until then, I…read morewas oblivious to this tucked away charming green space. This park features two sections- the higher level has a fountain, small green space and covered shelter overlooking the lower portion of the park with a large, lush field with a paved trail that winds along the Eagle Creek River. This park is located only a few blocks from the Main Street of downtown historic Zionsville and "next door" to the Lions Park. It looked like this was a popular spot to take your pups or ride a bike on the trail. Half the fun is enjoying the homes found on the streets neighboring the park.

This is a great little park to walk your dog in Zionsville. The park is relatively new, about five…read moreyears old and is in a low lying pasture along Little Eagle Creek. There is a good amount of parking in the park's lots upper and lower lots. Paved paths route in a large circle around the park and are accessible and keep Fido's feet clean. There are nice benches at regular intervals in the park for bird watching or just reading a book. At the upper end of the park is a small shelter with bench and a good place to watch summer fireworks. The is also a nice fountain and a few more benches to enjoy the view of the wetlands. This is a quiet hidden treasure in Zionsville and a good place to meditate and relax.

A HUGE thank you to Melissa for being accommodating and providing a small group of us with enough…read morematerial for an arrangement party! The flowers were gorgeous and a great selection that came together perfectly! Thanks again!

Holloway's Garden is a urban neighborhood garden specializes in unique varieties fresh cut,…read morebouquets, and edible flowers at our urban farm on the Near East side of Indianapolis. They have partnered with Growing Places Indy whose mission is to empower people to "cultivate individual, family, and community wellness through urban agriculture, access to fresh local food, and mind-body education." Growing Places Indy sponsors the Young Grow Getters Program, a paid, six-week intensive hands-on youth agriculture program. They produce some beautiful flowers including jowey paulas, peonies, ranunculus, zinnias, lisianthus and snapdragons. They are not your usally flowers that you always hear about, but equally as beautiful, if not more so. The garden itself is not very big, but serves a greater purpose than just providing flowers. It is the only green space within miles of that neighborhood. It is located right on the corner and hard to miss. They operate year-round and they sell their goods on site, just check their social media for days and times. You can also find their flowers at local markets such as SoBro Farmers Market, where they are a regular vendor. If you want to support local. This is the place for you. You cannot get more local than this. This is a nice business that supports some very positive programs. They have some exotic flowers that would surely make a wonderful surprise for that someone special.

Best volunteer experience I've had! Not only are they organized, they are efficient, and focused on…read moretheir mission to help as many people as possible. I had heard of Fletcher Place food pantry, but I didn't realize how much this location offers. Check it out: 1. Thrift store. People can come and shop around the store to score clothes, shoes, and household items for free. All clothes have been donated from the community and are sorted in the basement by volunteers. Clothing in the store is nice and any stained clothing is given to Salvation Army. Anything the Salvation Army can't use is given to a company in Canada that turns them into rags. Nothing is wasted and the thrift store staff says that their goal is for people to leave feeling better about themselves. That's why the store is so clean, organized, and friendly. 2. Preschool. There are two preschool classrooms for kids. Not only do they receive education, but teachers will pick out clothing from the thrift store for the children if they are not adequately dressed. Children then get to keep the clothes. There is also a large library that allows students to choose books from (to keep) each week. 3. Kitchen. The top floor has a large multi-purpose room that is often used for meals. Churches come in every day and donate food and cooking ability. No one is ever turned down from receiving food. An average of 120 people are fed every meal. The facility is super nice and always clean- but only with the help of volunteers. The building is also very secure and they always have plenty for volunteers to do. They also have an e-mail newsletter they send out about volunteer opportunities. *There is a big Christmas event in which you take families "shopping" throughout the building to get all necessities and Christmas presents. Very cool. They're looking for help* Check this place out if you've never been. They're doing great things!

This is where you bring donations. Don't take them to the chain donation drop off center where…read moreyour stuff is sold. Bring your clothes, blankets, shoes here, where they will be given away to people that really really need them. They also operate a free food pantry so you can bring food items for needy families. After donating a cart load of stuff, they gave me a receipt for tax purposes. On the way out I also noticed a community garden and produce stand that probably operates in the summer. My wife is a Girl Scout troop leader and they often come here to volunteer, sorting food items and helping to sort and display other donations.