Across Cleveland’s neighborhoods, urban gardening is quietly flourishing.
In Ohio City, herbs spill from windowsills; in Tremont, tomatoes climb trellises on apartment balconies; and in Midtown, raised beds line sunny patios. From Collinwood to Clark-Fulton, residents are turning small spaces into productive green pockets — growing food, flowers and a deeper connection to the community around them.
Rooted in Resilience
In the heart of Cleveland’s Fairfax neighborhood, Vernice Davis-Smith has cultivated more than fruits and vegetables — she’s grown a vibrant, intergenerational sanctuary.
At 68, Davis-Smith is a retired educator whose passion for growing things has blossomed into a lifestyle. With a deep love for the land and a dream of urban homesteading that she shared with her husband, the couple moved into her childhood home and acquired the lot next door to transform it into a thriving garden oasis.
She fortified the space with fencing, wire and concrete, learning through experience that farming is as much about persistence as it is about planting. Today, her homestead includes fruit trees, a greenhouse and a sensory garden filled with lavender, mint, sage and rose hips.
Her garden is more than a source of food — it’s a hub of community exchange. She shares tomatoes with neighbors, has traded eggs for honey with a beekeeper friend and occasionally hosts activities that bring people into her blooming space. “You eat better, share more and feel a beautiful sense of independence,” she says.
Her advice to aspiring gardeners? “Mix your plants — flowers, herbs, vegetables. It’s prettier, and it helps with cross-pollination and pest control.” She swears by cayenne pepper and garlic sprays to deter groundhogs and encourages trial and error.
Tip: Start Small
Don’t try to grow everything at once. Begin with a few plants and build from there.
A Late Bloomer’s Garden
In Old Brooklyn, just across the street from the original Honey Hut, a garden quietly stuns passersby. Color, texture and life spill from every inch of a city lot transformed by one woman’s passion.
Patricia Kasik is a self-described late bloomer. At 55, she bought her first home — not for the house, but for the yard. Now 74, she’s spent the last two decades turning a standard Cleveland lot into a floral sanctuary that defies expectations.
Her garden is a tapestry of perennials and specialty blooms, anchored by three raised beds filled with dahlias, gladiolus and zinnias. There’s a pergola and arbor leading to a “secret garden” shaded by mature trees and shrubs, a sanctuary she enjoys all summer. An old-fashioned water pump from her parents marks the heart of the garden, surrounded by a circle of plantings that have evolved over the years.
From tree lilies and turtlehead plants to Russian sage and honeysuckle, her garden is a masterclass in color, texture and seasonal rhythm. “You learn by doing,” she says. “And you really can’t make mistakes.”
Tip: Know Your Light
Before planting, observe how sunlight moves across your yard. “Full sun means over six hours of sunlight,” she explains. “Get to know your shady spots and match plants accordingly.”
Small Space, Big Impact
On a quiet street in North Collinwood that ends at the edge of Lake Erie, Molly Maloney has transformed a tiny front yard into a pollinator-friendly paradise.
“I’m a reluctant gardener,” Maloney admits. “I could barely keep houseplants alive before this.” But when she moved into their home in 2020, she inherited a yard with “good bones” — brick pathways and a few hardy survivors among a tangle of invasive plants. What followed was a slow, intentional transformation rooted in native plants, low-maintenance design and the local ecosystem.
Her lot, like many in the neighborhood, is postage-stamp small — just 20 by 20 feet. She’s layered perennials and native species like echinacea, milkweed, cardinal flower and wild geranium to create a dynamic landscape that changes with the seasons. “I aim for height, texture and color at different times of the year,” she says. “And I want it to be good for pollinators and birds.”
The result is an ever-evolving patchwork of silvery lamb’s ear, spiky echinacea and brilliant blooms like bright red cardinal flower and violently pink phlox. “I love putting purples next to oranges and yellows — colors that are opposite on the color wheel. It makes everything pop.”
Her approach is practical. She lets plants go brown in winter to benefit birds, and favors species that spread enough to reduce the need for mulch.
Tip: Start with Natives
Choose native perennials that support local pollinators and require less maintenance once established.
Dig Local
For more than four decades, Dale Heyink has been the heart and calloused hands behind Puritas Nursery & Garden Center in West Park. He encourages gardeners to mix perennials and annuals for a balanced, colorful display.
“Perennials don’t take up a lot of room, and they come back every year,” he explains. “Shrubs that bloom in spring are great, too. Just don’t crowd them — let them grow together naturally.”
Annuals, he says, are essential for keeping gardens lively throughout the season. “You’ve got to have some annuals in there to keep it pretty.”
He’s a big advocate for small-space gardening, especially for apartment or condo dwellers or those with patios. “You can grow herbs, small tomatoes — even in hanging baskets,” he says. “There’s a lot you can do in a small space.”
Tip: Attract Pollinators
Choose native perennials that support butterflies, hummingbirds and bees. Heyink’s team labels many Ohio-native plants to make it easy.