Given this is my first post I thought I would start with something close to home. That is exactly where we begin, right across the street at 54th and Collwood Boulevard in San Diego, CA.
Last fall I noticed a small patch of vegetables growing by the sidewalk on my way to the bus stop. It was an unlikely spot given its location on a sliver of land between the sidewalk on 54th Street and the adjacent church parking lot. This piece of land was about 10 feet wide and was somewhat of an eyesore with overgrown and untended plants. Over the past several months it has undergone major transition as several people have been removing the overgrown weeds and expanding the vegetable beds. With the land cleared and soil amendments added this actually has turned out to be a fantastic place for vegetables to grow and flourish. It is situated on a gentle west facing slope which is great for solar exposure and also protects if from would be intruders. Given that its surrounded by pavement I doubt that gophers or other predators will be a significant issue.
I haven't spoken to any of the gardeners but I think several families from the church have adopted their own garden patch here. This is a wonderful opportunity for people who live in apartments or on small lots to have a place to grow some of their own food. They may have little or no arable land at home or perhaps poor soil conditions or an unfavorable solar aspect. With this transformed parking lot families now have a chance to re-connect with nature even within a completely urban environment. It also provides them with wholesome food that only cost them their time and patience. Kudos to the bright-eyed stewards who began this garden, it is truly beautiful!
