The Garden Club of Cincinnati’s Urban Orchard Spurs Garden Development

An established project inspires further urban renewal

October 11, 2023

In 2009, The Garden Club of Cincinnati (GCC), planted the Urban Orchard in anticipation of The Garden Club of America’s centennial in 2013. Over a decade has passed and the project is still thriving. Of the 15 dwarf fruit trees which were initially planted, 13 are still alive and producing fruit. Neighbors continue to harvest the fruit – mainly from the apple trees, but some cherries and some plums – and to maintain the orchard by mowing the lawn beneath the trees. 

An unanticipated dividend from the establishment of the orchard has been the development of more gardens in the neighborhood. A small garden with raised beds has been established on the same street as the orchard, and a large garden featuring fruits and vegetables for neighbors to harvest and share has been created behind the orchard. In fact, the original Urban Orchard is now referred to by neighbors as the “gateway orchard,” as it leads to the new East End Community Garden, established three years after the Urban Orchard, under the guidance of the non-profit Turner Farm. GCC is thrilled that their initial project to establish an urban orchard in an inner-city neighborhood has led to the creation of more gardens, more learning opportunities for its citizens to grow and harvest fresh food, and increased stability in the community.