This Memorial Day weekend might not be quite warm enough for that trip to the beach we've been craving all winter, but it's a still a perfect time to re-acquaint yourself with that other beloved local outdoor space you probably haven't visited in months: your local community garden.

The city's more than 600 community gardens are now starting to re-open for the season, and earlier this week, a rep from the New York Restoration Project visited WNYC to launch Arts in the Garden, a four-month-long series of arts events in the 52 gardens it manages across the city. Notably, it's also hosting a "Concert in the Garden"—at Madison Square Garden, that is—featuring Bette Midler, who helped found NYRP 20 years back. (A schedule of lower-key events the organization is putting together in partnership with BAM can balso e found here.)

But if it's the nitty-gritty gardening intel you're after—or just a spot to sit under the shade of a few trees—check out our guide for finding (and joining) your community's local green patch, as well as suggestions for a few of the city's lovelier gardens you can visit on your next lazy afternoon stroll.

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