About the Gardens
Started in 2003 as a community garden for the Burton Street neighborhood in West Asheville, the Gardens have evolved into a creative commons focused on art, environmental stewardship, and social enterprise. The gardens are home to vegetable beds, native plants, multiple art installations, performance areas, a library/classroom, outdoor oven, greenhouse, micro-store, maker spaces, and more.
On This Page
How it Started
The gardens were founded in 2003 by husband and wife collaborators DeWayne “B Love” Barton and Safi Martin. As the nation clamored to our 2nd war in Iraq, the Burton Street neighborhood worked to recover from the recurring trauma of the war on drugs. Neighborhood residents were afraid to come out of their homes. Though we could not stop the war in Iraq, we could do our small part to increase the peace within our own neighborhood – and thus the Burton Street Community Peace Gardens were born.
Visit Us
Garden Hours
Open Daily from dawn til dusk.
Please, no visitors after dark.
Garden Volunteer Days
Every Thursday from 10am – Noon and 1pm – 3pm; other dates as needed/announced – follow us on Instagram or Facebook to stay in the loop.
Market Hours (May – October)
Friday 2pm – dark
Saturday all day
Buy freshly harvested produce from our Farmstand! We operate on a Pay-What-You-Can honor system, with all proceeds going to support the HHI-UI Youth and Free CSA programs.
Stay Connected
The Main Garden
The Main Garden is our original garden space, established in 2003 during the local war on drugs and the global war in Iraq. It stands as a symbol of peace and hope for the neighborhood and the world.
Starting as a humble project in an overgrown lot on borrowed land, the garden has flourished into a captivating woodland haven filled with art and creativity. Built from repurposed materials, it embodies the values of sustainability and environmental stewardship, inspiring everyone who visits. And though we’ve faced challenges and skepticism, the garden has united the entire community, becoming a place of shared joy and growth.
Today, the Main Garden boasts an impressive array of facilities, including a fire pit, performance stage, tool shed, greenhouse, outdoor oven, library, and more. It has become fertile ground for local initiatives and businesses, fostering entrepreneurship and innovation. With a focus on equity and justice, the garden continues to evolve, welcoming new neighbors and contributing to a growing regenerative culture.
Visiting the Main Garden is an invitation to experience the transformative power of nature, art, and community. It’s a place where dreams take root, and where the spirit of peace blossoms into endless possibilities.
Martha Jane’s Garden
For gardens to grow, thrive, and expand…they need champions. People who see the value of the work being done and give of their time, talent, and treasure to inject the gardens with life, love, & resources. One of our earliest champions was Martha Jane Ligon. Martha Jane or “Mot” as her friends affectionately called her, was a small woman with a huge heart and a giant sense of humor. Her home and property were just down the street from the Peace Gardens – the back side of which was a sizable, but overgrown lot which she generously offered up to expand the gardens.
We started small, planting a few rows in the most fertile corner of the lot. Each year reclaiming a little more of the hard clay lot, building the soil and adding essential infrastructure to make the garden more sustainable.
Since those early days, we’ve added a full community composting system, a gravity-fed watering system using water collected from a neighbor’s roof, a small fruit orchard, a community wood-chip/mulch pile, a greenhouse, a colorful garden mural, and a shelter for classes and shade.
Martha Jane left this earthly world in 2019 and though we miss her sweet laugh, the gardens live on as a living memorial to her beautiful and generous spirit.
The Vine Garden
The Vine Garden is a shining example of community partnership and growth. When St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in the Burton Street neighborhood invited us to manage and cultivate the land in 2019, we knew we had found an additional home for our work.
Within this sunny oasis, our largest hoophouse stands tall and proud, bursting with a bountiful harvest. And with plenty of room to spare, we’ve been able to plant crowd-favorites like corn, winter squashes, and juicy watermelons.
Just like our other gardens, we’ve implemented sustainable practices, including water catchment and a community composting system. Our tool shed and shelter provide a hub for learning and gathering, adding even more life and vibrancy to this peaceful oasis.
And, you won’t want to miss the incredibly beautiful and wildly colorful mural within this garden that pays homage to influential community ancestors and celebrates the garden’s biodiversity.
Community Voices
