Nestled in the corner of Alice Trefts Park in Santa Maria sits a slice of heaven for those with green thumbs: the Santa Maria Community Garden.
On a sunny Thursday afternoon, you might find Deanne Woodward strolling among the garden’s blooming flowers and burgeoning greens, tending after her own plot and potentially her boyfriend’s, as well. The community garden is Woodward’s safe space, her “haven,” as she calls it—quiet and bright and full of new life.
Woodward previously worked as a florist in Santa Barbara, but she said she couldn’t find much of an outlet for floral work upon moving to Santa Maria. She’s now training with the Workforce Resource Center, and she fills her free time with the garden.
She and her boyfriend, Eric, have been using the community garden for about three years, she said. Woodward recently invested in her own personal plot, where she grows mostly vegetables along with some flowers for their pleasing aesthetic.
Woodward told the Sun that since she’d recently quit smoking, she requires a lot of stress relief—something the community garden provides in abundance.
“Whenever I get too stressed or crazy or whatever, I just come here and it totally takes that away,” Woodward said.
On top of that, the garden has helped her build a community.
“The people around here are so nice,” she said. “Everyone’s really helpful. People take care of each other’s plots when they’re on vacation. I haven’t met a person here that I didn’t think was just absolutely awesome and nice.”
Woodward said most of the fresh produce she eats is from her or Eric’s garden. She’s currently growing kale, beefsteak tomatoes, sweet peppers, bell peppers, sweet beets, lettuce, rhubarb, celery, squash, strawberries, and watermelons. Eric is also growing his own hops and pumpkins.
Anyone can lease a plot in the garden for $27 a year, with leases re-upping on Jan. 1 each year. Water is included, though individual gardeners are responsible for all their own plant care and pest control. (Woodward said there have been some issues with whitefly, gophers, and snails around the garden.)
Every so often, Woodward said the city provides flats of free starter plants for the gardeners to use as they wish, making the community garden venture even easier.
Those interested in reserving their own plots may do so through the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department. Plots are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
Plant a garden
Contact the Recreation and Parks Department for information on how to reserve a community garden plot at 925-0951.
Staff Writer Brenna Swanston needs more than a starter plant to get her garden growing. She can be reached at bswanston@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jul 21-28, 2016.