NC city ranks among top 5 places for naked gardening

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Believe it or not, some people just love to shovel dirt and plant flowers in the nude.

In fact, there’s enough hype behind the stripped down practice that an evaluation of 500 cities has narrowed down the best ones with little to no laws against being au naturel in public.

In true “Keep Asheville Weird” fashion, the city emerged as a standout destination, claiming the fifth spot on the list of best cities for the unique pastime. Other NC cities that made the best cities list were Greensboro (14), Raleigh (18), Winston-Salem (21), Charlotte (#22), Fayetteville (#35), and Durham (#46).

The analysis, conducted by LawnStarter, comes just ahead of World Naked Gardening Day on May 4. According to the methodology of the analysis, cities were compared in these four categories: nude gardener friendliness, local interest, weather forecast and safety.

Joining the ranks of Miami, Philadelphia, New York City, and Austin, Asheville’s inclusion in the top five cities is a not to its reputation as a progressive and open-minded community.

Not to mention, the climate is pretty ideal for no-clothes-needed gardening in Asheville. This distinction gave Asheville the edge to rank No. 1 in the weather forecast category among all 500 cities considered.

The study also took a look at which cities’ naked gardening may not be as readily embraced or enjoyable for that matter. Anchorage, Alaska, found itself at the bottom of the rankings, presenting challenges both in legal restrictions on public nudity and of course, the brutal and lingering winter temperatures.

Also low on the list were Reno, NV, Duluth, MN and Billings, MT.

For more information on World Naked Gardening Day and tips on how to stay safe if you give this a try, see the full analysis and listings here .

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS17.com.