Garden is pretty, the Board is sh*t…read more I moved out of Long Beach midseason and forgot to tell them, because I have a life, but when I was honest and asked them if I could stay, they still kicked me out, despite me spending hundreds of dollars on new plants and mulch that I just laid out. I had to remove them after my appeal to stay through the season (a mere 5 months) was denied. Long story short, they kicked me out for moving out of city lines, despite living in Long Beach for 10 years prior and paying taxes to the city for a decade. None of that mattered enough to let me finish out the season. I'm pretty sure not everyone who gardens there even lives in Long Beach and just uses their friends addresses to get a plot, but they apparently don't care to look into that too much. Part of me feels like me being kicked out was driven by ageism/racist views as I have only seen old white people in surrounding plots and at work parties (i.e. gulag camps that start at 7am hardly a "party"). The people I met at the garden have been sweet enough, but I have also seen a lot of them go away because they were also kicked out for unfair rules like weed violations (seriously, it's a garden, there's going to be weeds). Also the board hasn't changed in 8+ years, so that should tell you something about their tyrannical rule. At least change it up and have people step down for other people in the board to take charge every year, but no. Overall, the entire board has the moral backbone of a chocolate eclair. Here is an article about them that I wish I read before I started gardening here: https://www.presstelegram.com/2013/08/21/long-beach-community-garden-beset-by-weeds-of-conflict-2/

Tucked away behind the Nature Center, the SPCA, and the sprawl of El Dorado Park is the Long Beach…read moreCommunity Gardens, home to ~300 plots of garden space. The city leases the individual plots out for a nominal yearly fee (100 + about 30 for incidentals last I checked) to any resident of Long Beach who can waitlist until acceptance and then maintain the plot according to the garden's somewhat exacting standards. Several amenities supplement the invidual plots: a pile of woodchips donated from local landscaping services, a pile of horse manure from the park's Equestrian Center, wheelbarrows, and a Food Bank table that gardeners can put their excess produce on. The Food Bank donations are taken daily to various nonprofit orgs that benefit the less fortunate in our city, and are a great way to keep from wasting food when your garden gives you a little more than you bargained for. Garden inspections are every month and infractions given for a variety of offenses, and if you get too many, they kick you out. For this reason, it's a good idea to go in on it with a friend or family member, or to make friends among other gardeners, because some things require more than one pair of hands to get done, and it's more fun with company anyway. It is a LOT of work to keep up with it - the plots are 20x30, and gardeners are expected to not let them lie idle. Plots must be kept populated with seasonal edibles as well as free of weeds and other problems that can spread to other garden plots. The gardens are what I call "mostly organic" - there's a little weed killer that gets used on the common pathways, but none is used in the garden beds where the food is growing. There are several things you can't grow on your plots here. No fruit trees, no berries with thorns (ie raspberries, blackberries), no mint, no potatoes, no succulents, the list goes on. But even with those restrictions, and the strict upkeep requirements, it's still a tremendous value if you have the time and the people power to put in the hard work to grow your own nearly-organic produce.

4/9/23 After the Easter egg hunt with my family in Diamond Bar, my day wouldn't be complete w/o a…read morevisit to the Lakewood Community garden. I just love visiting the garden to see what's growing. Living vicariously through others is exhilarating w/o the hard work-hahaha. Actually, there's nothing like harvesting & reaping what you've sowed. Check out the wonderful photos from today! Met the wonderful neighbors, Tina, a native of China, who speaks both Mandarin& Cantonese, and another neighbor, Bob, who was helping Tina pick some peas. Such lovely people:)) Another fabulous day, on Easter Sunday. Let the weekdays be short to see next weekend's activities:)) Woohoo \(*0*)/

Lovely! Work Hard. Grow your own. Eat organic. Repeat…read more I have a plot here and garden with my husband and kids on the weekends. It's $12/year for the plot "rental" fee and you get free water, manure, and advice from other gardeners. This is an awesome way for us to not only stretch our budget (by growing our own food), teach our kiddos that food doesn't have to come from the grocery store, and meet new people in our own community. ...all for $1 a month and a couple of hours a week..... That's a deal that I can't beat!! BTW - You can only garden here if you are a Lakewood resident and the wait list is between 6 months and 1 year long, but so worth it!

Came to this garden today to learn about bees! They have a monthly beekeeping class that is open to…read morethe public and a great way to get educated about bees, so you don't have to be afraid. Informational and free! Parking available on the streets but rather tight and limited.

It was fun to see a community garden in action and get healthy plants at a reasonable price.read more

This place is listed as a farmers market. It IS NOT. Its a super cute and rather large community…read morelot where fruits and veggies are grown.

I've been emailing for months with no reply, but finally saw the gate was open on Saturday morning…read moreso I stopped by with my compost bin! Spoke to the volunteers and found out that they are going through a change in management. The folks i met were nice and gave me a tour. Lots of overgrown spots covering up lots of beauty to be discovered! Excited to bring my 4 year old here to get in the dirt and participate in some of the upcoming workshops and activities.

The ESCG is a home away from home. I started gardening here in college for a bit. I stopped and…read moresomehow I came back years later; it must have been the land calling me back. I feel safe and happy here. Anyone can come to the garden during open community hours on Saturday's from 8am-12pm. Anyone can volunteer too. I learn here so much about myself, the land, and from community here.

The Gardens is beautiful and I'm so glad my parents bought the Catholic funeral package and chose…read moreto be rested here eternally. We had my dad's ash placed at the niche here outside facing the grass area and it is beautiful. This cathedral always has activities going on, you always hear the bell, the vibe is beautiful and the gardens is beautiful also. It does not feel like a cemetery at all and I'm so glad my parents chose to have their ash to be placed here.

It's a beautiful place for the dead person to rest. The service is excellent. The price is higher…read morethan the other cemeteries, but it's worth for your pay.