I've been having fun with a few plants on my balcony over the past year, but what I discovered the other day was quite amazing - there are community gardens all over the place! I've known about one at UCSD, but I always figured that was a special case. Basically a community garden is a section of land divided into plots that measure say 10x20 feet or some other reasonably small size. Most gardens charge between $10 and $100 per year for the plots. I think I'm the last to find out about these gardens because apparently there's a long waiting list.

After spotting a garden on the list that is less than a mile from my place, I rode down to check it out. It's on the corner of Shasta and Roosevelt Streets near Crown Point in Pacific Beach. The garden takes up about a quarter block and has 49 plots overflowing with more fruits, vegetables, and flowers than I can imagine. This is nothing like the lone, sad tomato plant I have on my balcony. This is natures bounty!

A lady was there watering her plot and she gave me some of the best tomatoes ever which I started consuming as we talked. The longer I drew out the conversation, the more vegetables she put in my backpack, so we talked for quite awhile. She's apparently from the forest in Ohio. I didn't know they have forest there... but then again, I didn't know about these community gardens either. Jeez, I've got a lot to learn. Here are some more beautiful photos of the garden.