Reviewed by: Pat Byington
Check out these 10 unique pocket gardens in the Birmingham area
Reading time: 5 minutes
Sunny 70-degree days and flowers in bloom means it’s peak springtime in The Magic City. All around the city lie dozens of pocket gardens—small or compact gardens that grow vegetables or support pollination—and now is the perfect time to check them out yourself.
Keep reading for a guide to local pocket gardens and community gardens in the Birmingham area.
1. Highland Park Community Garden at Rushton Park
In 2019, Highland Park Community Garden was created as a space for Highland Park residents to cultivate food in the comfort of their neighborhood.
The garden, a long-time effort by the Highland Park Neighborhood Association in collaboration with the City of Birmingham and other community partners, now hosts a variety of plants from vegetables to herbs and more.
- Location: 3000 Highland Ave, Birmingham, AL 35205
2. Green Roof Garden on Altamont Road
Located in Forest Park where Altamont Road meets Cliff Road lies a house with its own unique pocket garden. What makes this spot so special is how the roof itself has been turned into a garden featuring surrounding plants, vines and other native flowers.
3. Sims Garden
Sims Garden is a pocket garden in the Edgewood Neighborhood of Homewood. The park is the legacy of the late Catherine Sims, known as the Plant Lady of Edgewood. In her will, she deeded her property to the City of Homewood with the stipulation that it be maintained as a botanical garden.
Here’s a peek at some plants blooming in May at Sims Garden:
- Peonies
- Magnolias
- Hydrangeas
- Cotton lavender + Spanish lavender
- Location: 908 Highland Rd, Birmingham, AL 35209
4. Woodland Park gardens
Woodland Park, a two-acre park in Edgewood, is home to a very unique pocket garden. Flowers and various greenery have been planted in a former above-ground concrete pool, complete with colorful tiles and its original pool ladders still in place.
- Location: Woodland Dr, Homewood, AL 35209
5. Jones Valley Teaching Farm Vegetable Garden
Jones Valley Teaching Farm’s community garden is home to more than 200 varieties of vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers. Each year, their students and volunteers harvest thousands of pounds of fresh produce to be distributed throughout Birmingham.
Are you getting into the harvesting spirit? It’s tomato season—just in time for JVTF’s inaugural Tomato Day Celebration. On May 4, come out to the farm from 10AM-2PM for taco trucks, lawn games, plants for sale and planting demonstrations.
- Address: 701 25th St N, Birmingham, AL 35203
6. Ruffner Mountain Preserve
Ruffner Mountain is home to various habitat gardens, representing the diverse flora and fauna in the park. One of these, the pollinator garden, provides an ecosystem where native plants can interact with native insects.
- Location: 1214 81st St S, Birmingham, AL 35206
7. UAB Solar House + Sustainable Neighborhood
In 2017, a group of UAB students designed and built the Solar House to enter into the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon Competition. The house and its blooming gardens were created to demonstrate how easily sustainability can be incorporated into our daily lives.
- Location: 1637 11th Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35294
8. O’Neal Community Garden
Located across from the O’Neal Library in Mountain Brook, this local community garden is filled with flowers, fruits and veggies. It also serves as a teaching garden where children can learn about planting seeds, growing and harvesting plants .
- Location: 50 Oak St, Birmingham, AL 35213
9. Bush Hills Connections Urban Garden
Formerly Woodrow Wilson Elementary School, the Bush Hills Connection Complex is a community center featuring a recreation center, auditorium, kitchen and community garden. This community farm makes it easier for neighbors and the wider community to access healthy food options.
- Location: 1030 4th Terrace W, Birmingham, AL 35208
10. West End Community Garden
Founded in 2008, the West End Community Garden serves as a way for community members and families to access healthy produce and information about nutrition.
Want to get involved? You can volunteer in the WE Garden every Saturday from 8AM-12PM.
- Location: 1229 Cotton Ave SW, Birmingham, AL 35211
Learn more about Alabama plant life
Check out these top stories:
- How you can become a champion for native plants and trees in Alabama
- Pollinator Trails: Putting native plants back into our landscapes by creating “Homegrown National Parks”
- Beat the heat in these 5 shaded parks in Birmingham
Have you visited any of these local gardens? Tag us @bhamnow and let us know!
