Best Cities for Urban Gardening in 2022

For city dwellers who have a keen green thumb, it can be difficult to find the space and conditions to let plants thrive. It requires getting very creative with limited square footage and perhaps the lack of tools, but it can be done—think vertical plant walls and rooftop container gardens.

To kick off Lawn and Garden Month, LawnStarter set out to discover the best cities for urban gardening in 2022. Taking into account many factors including space, gardening supplies and accessories, climate, accessibility, and a local gardening community, they determined the top ten cities for creating an urban garden of dreams.

St. Louis, MO, came out on top. With the most community gardens per 100,000 residents, the city takes its gardening seriously. As a prime example of fostering community through urban farming, St. Louis is home to Urban Harvest STL, a nonprofit network of urban farms that donates most of its harvest to underserved populations.

In second place is Cincinnati, OH. Taking the bronze medal is Atlanta, GA, while Macon, GA follows closely behind in fourth place. Georgia may be the state for you if you’re a huge fan of urban gardening. Many of its cities have great access to private and public gardening spaces, and large yards mean more space to let your green thumb grow.

Rounding out the top five is Salt Lake City, UT, with easy access to garden supply stores and plenty of gardening communities and clubs.

“There are many options for city dwellers with a small patio or balcony or no exterior space to grow some flowering plants, vegetables, small fruits, and herbs,” Kathy Kelley, Professor of Horticultural Marketing and Business Management at Penn State college of Agriculture Sciences, told LawnStarter. “Containers work for outdoor and indoor gardening, but there are many planters that will fit over outdoor balcony railings if there is a lack of floor space. There are lightweight containers that attach to glass for indoor gardening that can be used to grow microgreens, herbs, and small houseplants.”

Below, top ten cities for urban gardening.