Gardening can be dated back to the ancient world when humans began to settle in one place. Egyptians planted fruit bearing trees, spices, and grapes. The Assyrians in 900 BC planted trees and crops irrigated by canals. Greeks and Romans also cultivated crops, vegetables, and flowers.

With the growth of mass-produced food and lower prices at supermarkets, the art of growing your own produce has declined heavily in recent years.

Crow Canyon Gardens: A Community Garden

Community gardens have been around for many years. They are a piece of land cultivated by a group of people and can be privately owned or on public land. Not only do they allow local individuals to grow their own healthy, fresh, produce but they also foster a community spirit.

If you are considering building your own garden, Crow Canyon Community Gardens is a good way to get involved in gardening and learn about gardening.

History of Crow Canyon Gardens

Crow Canyon Gardens is a 7.5-acre public park. It is owned by the city of San Ramon, CA. Crow Canyon Gardens was founded in 1978 by Virginia Mudd. She grew herbs, fruits, and vegetables and served them in her restaurant, Mudd’s, which is located next to the gardens. Ms. Mudd created the garden to show the connection between growing and harvesting, and preparing and serving healthy meals. She wanted to promote the benefits of growing your own produce and serving fresh wholesome meals.

Crow Canyon Gardens offers tours, demonstrations, and classes. It serves the community by promoting ecological responsibility, land preservation, and self-sustainability.

Today, Crow Canyon Gardens consists of 54 plots. The plots are rented out annually to gardening hobbyists who grow year-round fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Growing your own produce is beneficial in so many ways. It is far cheaper than buying produce from a store. You know exactly what you are eating making it a healthier and safer option.

For addtional information on renting a garden plot at Crow Canyon Gardens call the Alcosta Senior & Community Center at (925) 973-3250.

If you don’t want to wait to get a community garden plot or you live in an apartment or home with limited outdoor space a container garden might be the way to go. Container gardens, as the name suggests, are grown in containers. These are ideal for balconies, decks, and patios. They are mostly used to grow herbs and spices due to the limited amount of space but you could experiment and also try growing tomatoes, lettuce, etc.

If you are planning to move to the San Ramon Valley area, our San Ramon real estate office can be reached at (925) 519-0794. We are ready to help you find your ideal home.

This article originally appeared on Villa Properties’ blog.