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Planter boxes full of fruit, vegetables and herbs will soon be flourishing at Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve thanks to a new community garden that officially opened Friday morning at the preserve.
The County Parks and Recreation Department formally opened the garden with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and golden trowel dig.
Community gardens are growing in popularity for people who don’t have the space to garden at home and for those who love fresh fruit and vegetables. The produce is said to taste better and cost less. Families from other cultures who have a difficult time finding the traditional fruits, vegetables and herbs in local supermarkets appreciate the chance to grow their own produce so they can prepare native dishes. Digging in the dirt and tending seedlings as they grow is also good exercise, relaxing and allows gardeners to be outdoors.
“San Diego County became the first Let’s Move! County in the nation after First Lady Michelle Obama launched Let’s Move! to solve the problem of obesity within a generation,” said Supervisor Pam Slater-Price. “The community garden is another innovative example of how we encourage all residents in San Diego to stay healthy.”
The garden features 20 planter boxes and each one measures six feet wide, 16 feet long and six feet tall. Two were designed to be accessible to gardeners in wheel chairs. Each planter box is available for a fee of $50 – $75 a year depending on the location of the plot.
“The boxes are irrigated and feature screened-in enclosures to keep out deer and other animals, but the screens can be easily removed so gardeners can get to the soil and dig, sow and grow their own fresh produce,” said County Parks and Recreation Director Brian Albright.
He also announced a similar community garden is now open at Rancho Guajome Adobe in Vista with 20 garden lots.
