Community Gardens in Los Angeles

A community garden is land that is used by a group of people for gardening purposes, usually each individual having their own plot as well as sharing a portion of the land, such as paths or fruit tree orchards. Community gardens are a great option for people living in urban environments that do not have land of their own, allowing them access to fresh air and the ability to nurture their own garden whether they grow vegetables or flowers. Upkeep of these gardens is done by all members all contributing labor and time. These gardens also give a strong sense of community to a neighborhood. These are the top three community gardens in Los Angeles, Califonia.

1. Project Youth Green in Pacoima, California

This is a four-acre community garden that targets low income youth and their families, giving them access to fresh vegetables and fruit, outdoors, exercise, and experience growing plants. Half of the garden is the Learning Garden. The Learning Garden is an area made especially for educational development, with "demonstration gardens" that allow the community to explore habitats such as the butterfly garden and antropological garden. The other half of the garden is made up of 60-plot family garden plots, a fruit tree orchard, and paths. The plots are available to individual families to grow their own fruit and vegetables. The community garden is cleaned up and taken care of by the entire community of family and youth that use it's services.

2. Wattles Farm in Los Angeles, California

Wattles Farm is one of the oldest community gardens in Los Angeles. The garden is half a block from Hollywood Blvd and used to be part of the Wattles Mansion in Hollywood. This garden is for members only, who pay $40 annually and contribute labor to the community garden throughout the year. The garden has 163 plots, each 15 foot by 15 foot. This garden is close-knit and members sit together during the day, eating fresh salads and preparing recipes straight from the garden. Twice yearly there are also potlucks. Be prepared to enter the waitlist, however, because this community garden is very popular.

3. Ocean View Farms in West Los Angeles, California

Ocean View Farms is a community garden that has been open for over 30 years. It currently has six acres, with over 500 garden plots. Each plot is 15 foot by 15 foot, with a watering system installed so that every plot has access to water. There's also a beautiful orchard with fruit trees that are shared by all members. Of the 60 plus community gardens in the Los Angeles area, Ocean View farms is definitely the largest. To join this community garden, you'll need to pay an annual fee of $30, along with an insurance fee of $6. Membership at Ocean View Farms also requires a commitment of twelve hours per year of community labor for the garden. You can go to the Ocean View Farms website at http://www.oceanviewfarms.net/ to view an application, gardening tips, and etiquette for the community garden.

If you'd like to find specific community gardens in your area of Los Angeles, check out the Los Angeles Community Garden Council's database at http://lagardencouncil.org/. You'll find a list of dozens of community gardens all over Los Angeles, along with location and contact information. See also "Farmer's Markets in Los Angeles."

LaTempa, Susan. "A plot-driven garden story." Los Angeles Times. 23 June 2004. 05 April 2009. http://www.latimes.com/features/printedition/food/la-fo-wattles23jun23,1,6589678,full.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-food