My deceased dear friend, former neighbor and community leader Bill Rihn once remarked back when dozens of Lagunans were building what became the South Laguna Community Garden Park: “We’re growing friendships.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck hard in 2019-2020, I came often and alone to this public garden. Looking out on the Pacific, it grounded me, reminding me of the beauty of the vegetables, herbs and flowers that so enriched my wife, Ginger, and me. Blessed by visiting Asian Buddhist monks on several occasions, our community garden has been my easily accessible place of meditation, contemplation and calmness, particularly at a time when our national government is in a state of upheaval and draconian budget-cuts. Still, the simple truth is this: I always come away from time in the garden feeling better and seeing more clearly.
I had this same feeling at and after the Community Garden Park annual meeting on Sunday morning, Nov. 23. That time I was not alone but with my wife. The purpose of the meeting after sharing a brunch together, was to celebrate garden achievements, introduce new board members, hear about upcoming garden plans and simply enjoy each other’s company. Age-wise, the thirty or so of us were bookended by a well-spoken third grader named Max of no more than 10 and at the other end of the age spectrum by 83-year-old me.
Garden maven and founder Ann Christoph informed the gathering of assistant manager Carly Sciacca’s contributions to the day-to-day garden operations; treasurer Theresa Cavanaugh updated us on our expenditures and accounts, followed by co-author of the enchanting garden book fable Alani and the Giant Kelp Elf, Gayle Joliet, sharing a large poster of the garden’s achievements in five areas. I’ll provide highlights in only two of these. In the area of “Education,” for example, gardeners were instructed on soil preparation, planting from seeds, pruning and growing tomatoes. Additionally, we learned about garden programs for the Boys and Girls Club, Boy Scouts and Eagle Scouts. Under the heading “Awards,” attendees learned that the garden earned the American Society of Landscape Architects Southern California Chapter Merit Award, a City of Laguna Beach Environmental Award, a Laguna Beach Beautification Council Award, a U.S. House of Representatives, 48th Congressional District “Note of Recognition,” and more. In short, accolades galore.
Next on the agenda, candidates for the two-year board of directors’ positions stood and delivered very brief introductions of themselves. Landscape architect and former mayor Ann Christoph noted her earlier work saving the area’s hillsides for trails. Local businessman Ruben Flores urged us to think creatively about naming our garden footpaths and staircase. Barbara Granger, the indispensable garden caretaker and critter friend, shared her deceased husband Morrie’s successful work to gain use of the property owned earlier by one of his former biology students at UC Irvine.
Christoph, Flores and Granger are continuing board members; their statements were followed by those of three new and younger nominees. Sam Richardson, an engineering student at a local college, said he hoped to “enhance the educational aspect of the SLCGP for our community to engage with.” Said tech worker Adam Kaplan: “The garden provides me the daily opportunity to unplug and return to the speed of nature. Just as important as the plants are the friends and community I’ve made.” Twenty-four-year-old Rusty Hunter has worked as a sales representative since graduating from college with degrees in English and Spanish. He said his parents were both geologists “who loved to garden, and I think that rubbed off on me as a kid.”
As always, I came away inspired by the mix of people and their love of the garden. In my mind Bill Rihn would be smiling at the way growing vegetables evolved into growing a friendship community.
Tom Osborne is an environmental historian who recently signed a contract for his fifth book, Greening the Golden State: Environmental Leadership and the California Dream, 1850s -2020s. With his wife and others, he co-leads the Laguna chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby. thomasjoeosborne@gmail.com