Growing Sustainably
The Edible Garden
Nurturing Nature
Gardening: A Favorite Hobby
At Bernheim, we are proud to have one of the most unique gardens in the world. The Edible Garden is a 2.4-acre site just across from our Visitor Center that serves as a living classroom, produces 1000s of pounds of food annually, and engages visitors of all ages in one of the oldest practices of human kind.
The Edible Garden is a living classroom designed to help people understand the research mission of Bernheim. The Edible Garden helps people connect gardening and ecology.
What makes the Edible Garden so special? Here are some facts:
- Designed to be inclusive and accessible to everyone – paths and several of the beds are wheelchair accessible
- Regenerative design principles used in building the Edible Garden include:
- The 16 Solar Panels will generate 5,000 kwh per year, enough to cover the amount the garden will use in a year – Net Zero Energy.
- The garden uses only water from nature. The water from surrounding buildings and the garden itself is collected in cistern and ponds.
- Designing and installing native perennials to support biodiversity and increase habitat for beneficial insects in lieu of chemical usage
Volunteers Make It Possible
Volunteers help keep the garden well-maintained and productive by weeding, mulching, planting, watering and more.
