A green sign on a white cement-brick wall in front of 4973 and 4975 Niagara St. in Ocean Beach quietly invites passers-by to view a “Hidden Garden” situated between two cottage-style blue houses. The garden is located at the end of an unassuming cement pathway, no wider than a wheelbarrow, with narrow aisles of dirt lining either side. On the left are glass flowers spaced equidistant in black dirt, since there is no direct sunlight on this side. On the right, soil sits untouched under a lone streak of sunshine. A wooden gate reading “Hidden Garden” can be pushed back, instantly causing a whimsical stillness as the realization hits that one has landed where Alice might have in Wonderland. Color is all the eyes can see. Every hue imaginable tickles the mind in Louie and Kathi Williams’ peaceful “Hidden Garden.” A fence with mirrored wooden windows lines the yard. Above the mirrors are items from another world and another time: insulators from old telephone lines, wooden pulleys from ships, a rusted-steel smudge and an old knife sharpener are modestly placed through out the garden. Green baby tears, red-and purple-toned succulents, celadon and asparagus-colored cacti, fuchsia pentas and more grow around these weathered tools, which no longer serve a purpose in society. Among the other items hidden in the garden is a wrought-iron bed frame, serving as a true “bed of flowers” underneath an assortment of foliage. Light ocean breezes carry floral, lemon and fresh soil fragrances throughout. Steel chairs wait to be filled by guests inside the garden that welcomes all. “It’s a sad world if you can’t share,” said Louie, a man whose stature does not represent how large his heart is. Born in San Diego, he and his parents moved to Maine when he was a boy. He entered the Marines after high school, which brought him back to San Diego. Now retired, Louie and his wife, Kathi, moved into the home seven and a half years ago, about the same time they married. Louie said the yard was a mess when they first moved in. He was out in the yard with a pick clearing the weeds. He just started planting. He said his plan was willy-nilly at first, but he loved gardening and spending time outdoors. “I want the plants to do well,” Louie said. He has grown more selective over the years. One might wonder how he would fit more plants, but he insists there is room. “It’s a beautiful work of love,” said Barbara Iacometti, owner of the Details Salon which overlooks the garden. Iacometti has watched the garden transform from a dirt-filled yard into an amazing and eccentric flower garden designed by an artist. “Louie and Kathi are so generous about letting people come in and look at their garden,” Iacometti added. As news of the “Hidden Garden” spread, people began donating items to the cause. Louie places a green plaque on each as a way to thank the donor. A Fairchild wooden washer has a green plaque reading “Bob and Cordelia of Cottage Antiques.” “You can’t believe how many people I know now,” Louie said. He gleefully mentioned that he walks down the street and it makes him smile as people wave to him and shout out “Hey, Louie!” This was heartening when Louie was recently diagnosed with lung cancer. Businesses and neighbors organized a benefit for him at the Blue Parrot next door. He was touched and surprised. Louie is about to end his chemotherapy and begin radiation. He takes his gardening a little slower these days, but is out in the garden nonetheless. “As you get older, you start appreciating all of the things God created,” Louie said. A sign near the steps to his home reads “Bless all who gather here.” It sits above some wind chimes hanging over a basket, where the guests can leave donations. “Don’t be a stranger,” Louie said. “Come by anytime.”