Bell Community Garden​

History of Bell Garden:

The Bell Community was one of the first community gardens in St. Louis, established in 1986.  It’s history is intertwined with Seed STL (formerly Gateway Greening), a non-profit organization founded in 1984  that was the impetus behind the Bell Garden and many other community gardens around St Louis, number >150. The board of Gateway Greening felt that there were too many vacant lots in the City of St Louis, approximately 6000 at the time.  They collaborated with the St Louis Land Reutilization Authority that started  the “ Adapt a Lot” program, which allowed neighborhood groups to adopt a lot for $1 season.  One of the first lots to be adopted was the Bell Community Garden at 3871 Bell Avenue . Many vacant lots made up this one acre of empty land. Efforts to raise money for the chain link fence that surrounds the garden and the building of many raised beds gave the new organization a solid start.

The Bell Community Garden currently has a west garden with 55 raised beds as well as a water source, vegetable preparing station and composting station. Community members pay $50 per year to plant a large bed and 25$ for a small bed. In 2022, Bell Community Garden took on the Demonstration Garden which had been owned by Seed STL and had started in 1989. The demonstration garden has featured global demonstrations including an Asian inspired area that shares how to grow rice and water chestnuts. It includes a pavilion for events and a chicken coop. P Allen Smith came and shot the chickens for his show on Public Television. The Demonstration garden is now called the East garden and has over 32 beds.

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Today you will find a thriving garden community that that has over 13 beds which have the sole pose of donating produce to local food pantries.  One of the goals of the garden is to give back to the local community through the food it produces as well as be a space for people to enjoy. It has partnered with local non for profits and provides a free space  for these organizations to meet outdoors under the covered shelter. The garden continues to be owned by the gardeners and seeks to be a self sustaining green space in the Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood. 

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