If you’re looking for summer gardening inspiration, then now is a great time to visit the San Carlos Community Garden.  

The SCCG is bursting with color from showy succulents, like the Trichocereus, a must-see cactus with vibrant pink blooms, to the gorgeous mix of wildflowers in our pollinator garden, which is now the home of a magnificent mosaic butterfly sculpture created and installed by students from the Patrick Henry High School Art Club.

As you meander your way around the garden, you’ll find a great variety of plants being grown by SCCG gardeners; winter veggies like carrots, beets, lettuce, kale, snap peas, and fava beans are abundant, while early summer plants like strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes, artichoke, and watermelon are growing strong.  

Also growing are our special programs aimed at bringing our community together through environmental education, healthy living, arts and culture! 

Registration now open for Playtime in the Garden summer program

The San Carlos Community Garden is excited to announce open registration for its Playtime in the Garden summer program, designed for children ages 4 to 8 years old.  

Held every Thursday from June 12 to Aug. 7, 9:30 to 10:45 a.m., this program is exclusively available to SCCG Garden Members (just $40 for a year membership) and allows up to three children to attend at no additional cost.  Each week is limited to 15 children, ensuring a personalized and enriching experience that includes hands-on activities, games, and crafts that highlight the essentials of gardening, healthy eating and caring for our environment.  

May 17  Workshop: What the heck is polyculture and why should you care?  

Less rain, higher costs for water, and longer, hotter days is the reality for San Diegans.  Have you adjusted your landscape or gardening plan to these new norms?   

If you’re seeking sustainable ways to enhance your garden while benefiting the environment, the San Carlos Community Garden’s May 17 workshop is a must-attend event.  

Join SCCG from 9 to 10:30 a.m. for “Rewilding Urban Landscapes with Polyculture”, an educational workshop led by Rosalind Haselbeck, executive director of Dwelling on Carbon.  This workshop will delve into how polyculture lawns can mitigate urban heat, manage stormwater, and sequester carbon.

Polyculture is an agricultural approach that involves cultivating multiple plant species together and mimicking natural ecosystems. This method fosters biodiversity, improves soil health, conserves water, and supports pollinators.  Come and learn with others who want to learn how rewarding and fun it is to cross-pollinate your landscape (from balcony to meadow) with beneficial plants that can be diverse in color, shape, size and texture.  

Participants will engage in hands-on activities, including soil health assessments and exploring diverse seed mixes, and will walk away with a better understanding of how to integrate polyculture into your gardening practice, to create a more resilient and productive landscape that thrives with minimal intervention.  

This workshop is free for SCCG garden members and $10 for non-members.

More dates added: Yoga in the Garden, Sundays at 9 a.m.

Come and experience the sweet tune of birds singing, bees buzzing, and trees swaying in the wind while enjoying an hour of yoga and meditation in the garden.

SCCG’s Gentle Yoga & Mindful Meditation is expanding and will be held on the first, second and third Sunday of each month from 9 – 10 a.m.. Participants are guided through 60 minutes of gentle yoga, breathwork and mindful meditation. 

This event is free and welcomes all ages and skills (mat and chair).  $5 donation is suggested.

Save-the-Dates: Stuff the Pantry summer concerts in the Garden presented by Aloha Solar

Now in its third year, the SCCG is proud to offer another great season of music featuring some of San Diego’s best singer/songwriter talent.  

SCCG’s Stuff the Pantry summer concerts will be held on the second Fridays of the month- June 13, July 11, and Aug. 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. with food truck fare available for a kicked-back evening of music in the garden.  The cost of entry is a non-perishable food item that will be donated to the Good Shepherd Food Pantry of El Cajon. 

Curated by Sandé Lollis, award-winning singer/songwriter and local San Carlos resident, this year’s line-up will feature a whole new list of talent from across the county including special performances led by Sandé.  Locally owned and operated, Aloha Solar & Electric, who offer discounts to SCCG Garden Members, has been the presenting sponsor of this series since its inception.  Artists will be revealed on the SCCG website on May 16.

The SCCG is located at 6460 Boulder Lake Ave., (adjacent to the San Carlos Rec Center) and is open to the public every Saturday for open house from 9-11, and other hours based on special event schedules. 

To register for Playtime in the Garden or Rewilding Urban Landscapes with Polyculture, visit the San Carlos Community Garden website at sancarloscommunitygarden.com.

Top caption: PHHS Art Club teacher, Jason Rogalski, with students and the mosaic butterfly sculpture. (Foto de cortesía)