I’m not sure how many community gardens there might be in St. Petersburg – I imagine that there are lots of private ones, but in terms of city-owned, city-sponsored gardens, I’m aware of two:  Azalea Community Garden and Bartlett Park Community Garden.

I know that the Azalea garden has been around for many years, and that it seems to go through cycles.  There are times when there’s not much activity there, and there are times when all of the plots are filled with thriving plants and active gardeners.

I was in the Azalea neighborhood today, previewing a home for a client of mine, and I noticed the community garden as I was driving down 22nd Avenue North.  So I pulled in and parked for a few minutes, just so I could get a couple of shots to post.  This particular St. Petersburg winter has seen a few days of much colder weather than we’re used to, but even so, winter vegetables are thriving, as you can see in the photos below.

I can tell you that there were several apparently unused plots in the Azalea garden, so if you’re interested in renting one for your own use, contact the City of St. Petersburg.  I believe that they are rented out for six months of time, and the price is very reasonable – somewhere around $30.  The Azalea Community Garden is located on the south side of 22nd Avenue North at 79th Street.  

Azalea Community Garden (Click on photo for larger image)

Azalea Community Garden (Click on photo for larger image)