Despite the summer heat, the San Carlos Community Garden (SCCG) continues to bloom and bring the community together.
Now celebrating its 10th year anniversary, the San Carlos Community Garden (SCCG) offers a variety of activities beyond gardening that allow the 501(c)3 nonprofit organization to promote its primary purpose to “grow community”.
Partnerships with organizations like CorePower Yoga, the San Carlos Branch Public Library, Master Gardeners Association of San Diego, and the dedicated support of volunteers have helped the SCCG carry out its mission to encourage gardening for nutrition and beauty, knowledge for healthy living and stewardship of the earth, collaboration of neighbors and schools plus spirit through inspiration and healing. The garden leadership team also wants to enhance opportunities to connect with neighbors about growing organic food, connecting with nature and each other, learning more about gardening, nutrition and stewardship of the Earth.
Overlooking the majestic view of Cowles Mountain, the SCCG is thriving with 72 community garden plots; an orchard with more than two dozen fruit trees; a fire safe landscape educational garden; an active Food2Soil community composting hub; California native plants and succulents gardens; herb garden with labyrinth and an amphitheater.
Though SCCG plot gardeners have access to the garden anytime, the garden is open to the community on Saturday and Thursday mornings from 9 to 11. In addition to garden tours held every Thursday and Saturday morning, families are invited to bring their children to explore the variety of nature and fun games sporadically placed throughout the garden such as the Pumpkin Patch HopScotch, Orchard Bucket Toss, or Lady Bug Checkers.
Other scheduled events include Alphabet Soup, a storytelling event for young families held on the second Saturday of each month at 10 a.m., Produce Swap, a “no-cash, share-only” event held on the last Saturday of each month, or Yoga in The Garden held every Sunday at 5 p.m. Additionally, the SCCG hosts garden and nutrition workshops led by certified master gardeners and other experts for just $10 per person.
“The process of pulling together community ideas and resources to make the Garden a vital entity has been exciting,” said Carol Lockwood, chair of the Garden’s leadership team. “The garden brings people together for various reasons. Some come to our garden to grow food for their families and neighbors, while others come to enjoy a safe and beautiful space for meditation, exercise, play, and to learn how to care for living plants in our Southern California climate. An all-volunteer endeavor, we also provide a great outlet for those who seek the rewarding experience of volunteerism and community service.”
The San Carlos Community Garden was established in March 2012 as a joint-use community garden in partnership with the Sierra School of San Diego, a San Diego Unified School District public-private charter school for K-12 students who require educational and behavioral support to overcome special needs challenges.
Founding partner San Carlos United Methodist Church is no longer an active partner since the Garden’s change to a non-profit organization. The joint-use community garden was made possible through a $15,000 Healthy Works grant, an initiative to fund school and community gardens funded by the County of San Diego’s Health & Human Services Agency and the Center of Disease Control and Prevention. The purpose of the grant’s funding was to establish a garden that would benefit both school children and community residents.
Over the last 10 years, SCCG has fulfilled its promise and hopes that its non-profit status will enable donations and other means of funding to provide greater access to garden education to more schools and school-aged children, and produce more opportunities to connect community citizens with the garden for growing organic food, connecting with nature and other neighbors, and learn more about gardening, nutrition and stewardship of the earth.
“The process of pulling together community ideas and resources to make the Garden a vital entity these last 10 years has been exciting,” she says. “As we look to the future, we hope more business and community leaders will help the SCCG continue carrying out its mission for the next decade,” said Lockwood. “We’ve planted our seeds and established our roots. Now it’s time to Grow!”
To learn more about how you can get involved contact the San Carlos Community Garden at [email protected] or visit the Garden’s website at: sancarloscommunitygarden.com.
The San Carlos Community Garden schedule of events for July/August/September:
Thursday, July 28, 10–10:45 a.m.: Dance to Evolve, with San Carlos Public Library
Come get your groove on in this creative movement class with a jungle safari theme.
Thursday, Aug. 11, 10–10:45 a.m.: Hullabaloo
Come listen to a variety of fun music – Twang, funk, rock, and blues. Kids and adults will be inspired to laugh, dance and sing.
Saturday, Aug. 13, 10 –10:45 a.m.: Alphabet Soup Storytime
Come join Ms. Erin from the San Carlos Public Library in the garden amphitheater for an interactive presentation of The Crunching Munching Caterpillar, by Sheridan Cain.
Saturday, Aug. 20, 9–11 a.m.: Healthy Recipes from Garden to Table
Learn creative ways to prepare your garden crop from abundance or slim pickings. What can you do with the extras? $10 per person. Pre-registration required at: sancarloscommunitygarden.com/garden-workshops.
Saturday, Sept. 17, 9–11 a.m.: Planning a Fall and Winter Garden
Join Master Gardener, Judith Hays-Zavala, for this hands-on workshop, and learn about using transplants and seeds to grow your cool weather garden. $10 per person. Pre-registration required at: sancarloscommunitygarden.com/garden-workshops.
(Courtesy photo).
