U City in Bloom was started in 1985 by three very determined women who wanted to beautify University City by introducing community gardens. That year they planted 600 daffodils along Pershing Avenue near Jackson. We gradually added more gardens and found more volunteers.

Today U City in Bloom, - a not-for-profit organization, maintains more than 150 gardens planted throughout University City. Our mission is: Volunteers sharing a vision of community through public gardening projects in University City.

Our hallmark gardens are the public gardens. U City in Bloom has designed as well as maintains and plants the flower gardens at Centennial Commons, Heman Park Pool, the U City Public Library, and the Centennial Gardens at City Hall. UCB was fortunate to have contributed the design for the Harriett Woods Memorial Garden.

We have flower gardens at each of the U City elementary schools including the Butterfly Memorial Garden at Flynn Park, the middle school and the high school.

We also plant and maintain the over 100 decorative planters that line the street along both sides of the Loop, adding splashes of color to a wonderfully vibrant area.

Our gardening practices are focused on sustainability and use of native perennials, annuals, shrubs and trees.

Volunteers are the heart of our organization. Our nearly 150 volunteers help with everything from planting, weeding and watering our over 350 public garden locations, of course, fundraising. Our budget is a modest one and every contribution counts! We have a job to fit every gardening passion and everyone’s busy schedule.