Recreation & Fun

The annual Summer Gardening Fair, hosted by the San Francisco Botanical Garden Society, is a great resource for budding gardeners and plant enthusiasts. This year’s event featured the installation and planting of two new raised-bed Victory Gardens at the Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum.

I met curator Dr. Don Mahoney, membership director, Jay Estey, Education Coordinator, Kitty Fisher and some talented staff and volunteers from MyFarm. MyFarm bills itself as a “decentralized urban farm” that helps individuals and families all around the city grow vegetables in their backyards. MyFarm was on hand to donate labor for the installation and upkeep of these new gardens.

The interest in edible gardens has steadily increased in recent years and, no wonder. Their value is immeasurable; they are excellent and green alternative food sources that teach us about food production, sustainability and nutrition.

The Botanical Garden Society, the non-profit support organization for the Botanical Garden, continues to be a great community partner. Throughout the year, the Society offers citizens like you and me unique opportunities to learn about and connect us to the fantastic world of plants, flowers and, now, vegetables.