The San Carlos Community Garden has grown into much more than a place for planting vegetables.
Established in 2011 as a joint-use community garden with the Sierra School of San Diego, the San Carlos Community Garden now proudly offers 72 community plots for individual lease, as well as common areas devoted to native plants, succulents, roses, an orchard, sensory experiences and education.
Throughout the garden, visitors encounter a landscape shaped by community collaboration and creativity, garden practices and knowledge shared by earlier generations, an appreciation for the natural world, and a strong commitment to nurture and grow community.
Garden plots, mosaics, murals, gathering spaces and community-built features come together to tell a larger story about what can happen when people create a shared place with purpose.
For Carol Lockwood, one of San Carlos Community Garden’s longtime garden leaders and co-founder, art and nature share an important purpose; one that stands on the philosophy that encourages people to slow down, notice their surroundings, and feel more connected to one another.
(Photo by Kelly Wood/Special for Times of San Diego)
“From the beginning, San Carlos Community Garden’s shared vision was to create not only a productive garden, but also a beautiful and restorative community space where people could gather, learn and connect,” said Lockwood, whose interest in art, education and community-building has helped inspire numerous San Carlos Community Garden collaborations with volunteers, students, artists and local organizations over the years.
“Creating spaces where visitors and volunteers can rest, relax and contemplate the restorative powers of nature and their own creative endeavors has always been a top priority of mine,” she said.
San Carlos Community Garden’s art, nature and community-inspired vision are apparent throughout the garden. A partnership with Patrick Henry High School’s art program produced a large mosaic butterfly that towers over a pollinator garden, while other creative installations include a mosaic totem in the Succulent Garden donated by a local artist, a colorful wind sculpture, wind chimes, painted rocks hidden throughout the garden, educational plant signage, and artfully designed sky-blue benches placed throughout the garden.
Carol Lockwood/Special for Times of San Diego)
The garden’s community character is also visible in more than 20 Eagle Scout projects completed on the property. These projects have added a Little Free Library, pergolas, benches, picnic tables, rain barrels, kiosks, signage, a playground sandbox and other features that blend function with thoughtful design. Together, they demonstrate how volunteerism can leave a lasting imprint on a shared public space.
“Working with the scouts has been a special joy as we both seek to be creative while adding value to the community that will last for years,” Lockwood said, noting that the garden’s motto, “Building Community,” is something its leaders take seriously.
Shaped by landscape design and horticulture experts and volunteers, specialty gardens add another layer to the experience. San Carlos Community Garden’s Native Plant Garden, Succulent Garden, Rose Garden, Orchard and Sensory Garden create opportunities for visitors to appreciate plants not only for their beauty, but also for their ecological and educational value. These spaces invite people to observe, ask questions and better understand the relationship between healthy landscapes and healthy communities.
Honoring San Carlos Community Garden’s Cultural Heritage
Just as a mosaic is formed from many individual pieces, the San Carlos Community Garden continues to be shaped by the people, histories, cultures and ideas that come together within it. That spirit will take on special meaning on Nov. 21, from 9-11 a.m., when the San Carlos Community Garden will host representatives from the Kumeyaay Nation for a free event recognizing its indigenous roots and cultural heritage.
The program will feature Charlene Elliott, director of the Sycuan Band’s Cultural Resource Center and Museum, and Harmony Sweetgrass, 2023 Miss Kumeyaay Nation. Through cultural items, stories and shared knowledge, the workshop will explore Kumeyaay history, traditions and the enduring relationship between Kumeyaay Nation’s indigenous people and the land.
Lockwood sees this gathering as a natural extension of the garden’s evolving identity. “Their connection to our lives today and the reverence we can develop in this relationship with the Kumeyaay Nation is a very exciting new chapter in the garden’s future,” she said. “I think we have a lot to learn about enriching our lives.”
For a place built around the idea of “Growing Community,” San Carlos Community Garden’s Indigenous celebration of the Kumeyaay Nation will offer an opportunity for visitors to gather with curiosity, honor and learn about the cultural history of the land, and deepen the connections between art, nature, community and culture that continue to make the garden a special place for all. Plus, just in time for fall and winter planting, the San Carlos Community Garden will also host a Fall Plant Sale with hundreds of all-organic-grown veggies and herbs priced at $5 and under.
Learn more about the San Carlos Community Garden at sancarloscommunitygarden.com or visit for its weekly Open House every Saturday from 9-11 a.m.
Kelly Wood is the co-founder and board chair of the San Carlos Community Garden.
