The Daily Dig

I recently bought a book called Cracks in the Asphalt – Community Gardens of San Francisco by Alex Hatch with the goal of visiting a few gardens for National Community Gardening Week, August 23-29. Last week I headed off to the city with book in hand to visit a garden or two. When I arrived in the city I parked the car and began a brisk hike up the hill from Market Street and I found myself at the Corwin Street Community Garden in the charming Eureka Valley neighborhood.

(click on image for more photos)
 
According to the books author, back in the 60s the residents of this neighborhood staged a sit-in to block developers from building on this piece of open land, starting a movement that would save open space in San Francisco, paving the way for this community garden and others.
 
The Corwin Street Community Garden was established in 1995, and isn’t your typical community garden. No raised beds, unfurled hoses or bounty of fruits and veggies. This garden is devoted entirely to drought-resistant plants, native plants and habitat restoration.
 
Situated on a steep hill overlooking downtown and beyond, this garden consists of a palette of texture, color and dimension. Barked paths invite exploration and benches provide a spot to relax, enjoy and just be.
 
For the past 12 years this garden has been under the direction of neighborhood resident Bill Murphy. I was lucky enough to meet him on my visit and ask him a few questions about this garden he has been instrumental in envisioning and creating.
 
Describe your gardening style
Corwin Street Community Garden is managed as something somewhere between a garden and a natural habitat.  For me habitat gardening strives toward creating a web of life, calling nature back to a given spot. Habitat gardening is all about supporting healthy soils, the environment and wildlife.
 
What's your favorite garden element?
Information about the garden itself. If it’s unusual, it helps people understand it and why the garden has been created. Another is water features. I believe in gardening with less water so a bird bath or a small fountain gives the feeling of lushness and creates ambient sound while attracting birds and other creatures.
 
What's your biggest gardening challenge?
In the past it was trying to affect the level of courtesy, or lack of it, to this garden by dog owners. My efforts have been very successful. Now it’s keeping up with pruning – not that it’s a difficult thing, I enjoy it – but it is a challenge.
 
What's your favorite part of the garden?
Right now the aspect of the garden I have been enjoying the most is pruning up lower braches of shrubs and trees. Doing so seems to be creating the feeling of being in a small forest with all the vertical stratification, levels and layers of plant life.
 
Can you share a cleaning and organizing tip?
Don't put your tools away wet. If you do and they rust, treat them with steel wool and sharpen them with a file. Barking paths and the heavy use of mulch allows for garden to have the feeling of wild land. It also remains organic and is so good in so many ways: weed control, soil fertility, water savings, etc.
 
What's your proudest DIY?
It was the first grant I ever applied for. The application was accepted, and I was awarded the grant for the kiosk/ bulletin board here at the garden.
 
What’s your biggest indulgence?
My imagination…  Ohhhhh we could make that mulch that Osmosis Spa in Freestone makes from cedar bark and burry you in hot mulch… We could have the Corwin Community Garden spa…
 
What’s best gardening advice?
Pay attention to what the plants are telling you. Thorough trial and error you will begin to understand what the plants need. Open your eyes and be observant with your pruning techniques and everything else. I didn't have formal training with these plants, they have taught me what they need.
 
What’s your favorite gardening resource?
Glenn Keatour's Complete Garden Guide to the Native Shrubs of California http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Garden-Native-Shrubs-California/dp/081180...
Designing California Native Gardens
http://www.ucpress.edu/books/pages/9478.php
Jake Sigg's Nature News http://bayviewhillnaturenews.blogspot.com/
and Plants donated from San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department.
 
Who or what inspires you?
The habitat restoration movement. There are a lot of people doing this today and anyone who is donating their time to improve their neighborhood or the planet inspires me.
 
What is in your cd player right now?
DJ Steve Boyette. Great electronica for free on his website.
 
If you would like to help or volunteer at the Corwin Street Community Garden you can send an email to corwingarden@yahoo.com .
Mark is a member of The Garden Geek and you can find him as billmurphy1959.
 
Interested in sharing your garden on The Garden Geek? Contact us at tours@thegardengeek.com