An open, grassy field at the Awbury Arboretum was converted into an active community garden by the Penn State Urban Gardening Program, led by Terry Mishovic, which began in 1977. Working with community members, the garden began with 10 plots. The garden soon doubled in size and continued to grow over the years.

The garden site is a part of an 18th-century farmstead, which was preserved by the Cope Family when they donated their estate, “Awbury”, to the public. The land has been in almost continuous farm use since European settlement of the area. A Cope cousin, Caroline, purchased the farm and lived in the 1793 farmhouse for many years. She added her farm to the Cope donation and paid for the work of noted landscape architect Arthur Cowell, who developed a master plan for the site in 1918.

In 1996, executive director Thomas Mishler began meeting with Awbury Garden Club president Nolan Jones and members of the coordinating committee. A comprehensive master plan for the garden was the result of numerous community meetings held to discuss the project. An interpretive nature trail between the Ardleigh Street wall and the garden was planted with native species to teach visitors about our watershed and habitat preservation. In 2018, a grant enabled the garden to expand to 51 ground-level plots and 20 raised beds; the perimeter fence was installed, and blackberries along it were planted.

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Awbury Community Garden is a member of the City Harvest Program (CHP). CHP provides us with seeds, seedlings, and supporting resources that help us grow food to feed ourselves, our families, and our community. 

Today, there are 71 plots in the Awbury Community Garden, tended by our members with a combined gardening experience of over 100 years!

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