Hello everyone! In this week’s blog post, I will be talking about community/pocket gardening and how you can start your own. To answer some of my questions, I interviewed Carmen from the Pearl Street Pocket Garden in Santa Monica, California.

The Benefits of Starting a Community/Pocket Garden

First of all, what is a community/pocket garden? According to Wikipedia, a community garden is a piece of land gardened by a group of people. But if you don’t have a plot of land to share, pocket gardening may be perfect for you. A community pocket garden is essentially a mini garden that you share with people.

An Interview With The Pearl Street Pocket Garden

The Pearl Street Pocket Garden is a community pocket garden in Santa Monica, California that is here to answer some questions about pocket gardening. Thank you to Carmen from the Pearl Street Pocket Garden for answering my questions! You can check the garden out on Instagram here: CLICK HERE

What inspired you to start community/pocket gardening?
Food is a way for me to connect with people and I really love getting children connected to how food grows and where it comes from. I also love to get them to try new things and eat fresh, healthy foods. The garden was a way to have an outlet for community connection.
How do you recommend that people start their own community/pocket garden?
Start small and don’t be a perfectionist. Gardening for me is a journey of trial and error. I try not to get too invested in the success of specific plants. If it doesn’t work, I start over.
What did you use to make your pocket garden?
I purchased my metal containers from Malibu Feed bin and my wooden boxes from Anawalt Lumber. My favorite soil is Fox Farms Ocean Forest blend potting soil but I only use that on the top layers as it is expensive.
What are the best things to grow for a new community/pocket garden?
It depends on what is available and what time of year it is. The lettuce during the summer was prolific and provided lots of salads for people. Herbs can be good things but be careful that some varieties will take over a container. Herbs like mint and rosemary can easily crowd out other plants.
Currently, I have a ’three sisters’ garden that I am surprised is working out. I started everything but the peas from seeds and they are growing well. I’m not sure they’ll all produce fruit, but I wanted to share an example of traditional companion planting. Corn serves as a trellis for peas/beans, the squash provides shade to the ground with its big leaves and peas/beans take nitrogen from the air and deposit it into the soil providing fertilizer for the other plants. Many natives tribes have stories based upon this tradition.
Why are community/pocket gardens important, and why should people consider starting one?
If it is something that moves you, then yes. I think they are valuable and I have received a lot of positive response and joy from mine. It is work though. There are so many creative ways we can try to connect to our surroundings that I wouldn’t say it’s the only or best way.
How are community/pocket gardens bringing people closer during COVID-19?
People stop by and chat with me. I have also used the IG page and I post on local FB groups about it and so many people have responded and stopped by to check it out and take something. I’ve met lots of families who love showing their kids. We all need something to smile about during this uncertain and stressful time.