Urban community gardens springing up in Phoenix

PHOENIX (KSAZ) -- Big city living provides a lot of perks, but one thing people miss having.

A garden.

A Phoenix non-profit, however, is filling that void with its community garden project, with two such gardens in Phoenix.

"I'm going to plant carrots, lettuce, spinach, cucumbers and radishes and beets," said 1st time gardener Elizabeth Enciso, who is renting one of the 30 plots for gardens that sit on a once vacant lot near 19th Avenue and Camelback. She said part of the appeal is that rent for the plot is quite affordable.

"$5 a month, and they provide everything, your soil, your tools," said Enciso. "It's like a win-win for me."

Keep Phoenix Beautiful is running two of these community gardens in the city. Gail LaTour manages both projects, and she said showing people how to grow healthy food is one goal, but the project strives for more.

"It's to build communities, and a community garden is the perfect place to start," said LaTour. "It brings people together with events. We have coffee in the garden, we have party in the garden."

Keep Phoenix Beautiful officials say the community gardens are also appealing to apartment and condo dwellers in the area.

"Apartment dwellers, there's a lot of multi-housing units in this area, and they don't have yards to garden, so this is the perfect opportunity for those folks," said LaTour.

The non profit project runs on donations, and there are still a few garden plots available to rent.