Nikolaev's climate is unique, shaped by the mixing of air from the southern Ukrainian steppes and the warm Black Sea. The location of the new city was ideal for naval operations and for ship building, but the land was treeless with few useful native plants. For that reason, the establishment of agriculture and the greening of the city were urgent tasks in the early years. Inhabitants created gardens wherever practical. Acorns and seeds of hornbeam, linden, acacia, mulberry, walnut, apple and other trees were brought to the city. Inhabitants were not allowed to cut trees or to build houses in the garden districts. Admiral Grage, an early Military Governor, ordered that trees be planted on Spasskyy Hill and in the Dry Fountain District. A park, now known as Pioneers Park, was laid out on Spasskyy Hill.

The first garden was laid out at the house of the General Commander and later came to be called "Wild Garden" because of the uncultivated trees growing there. The second garden was in a space now known as Arkas Square. The original name was Sivash Square.

One of the best green places in the city was Boulevard (today it is called the Boulevard named after Admiral Makarov). It was constructed at the high bank of Ingul River. Green trees were planted on the slope. At the Boulevard there were several flower beds, a fountain and two staircases.

In Old Nikolaev there were many other gardens and squares, including Dry Fountain Stow, Strelka with Nothern Leski, Spassky Stow, Leski and Volovyy Dvor Stow. More parks were added in later years.

Today, city inhabitants enjoy Victory Park, Petrovskyy Park, Leski Park, Chestnut Square and others.

There were also problems with water supply in the early years. In the 1700s, Spassky Stow was the only place in the city where people could find drinking water. A fountain was built on Spasskyy Hill, and two smaller fountains in the stow. But tree cutting and earthquakes in 1830, 1929 and 1951 caused these fountains to dry up. Today, the location of those fountains is called Dry Fountain.