San Jose community garden told to leave as land is sold to developer
By John Ramos
An unusual community garden in San Jose, established 27 years ago, is struggling to survive. The land has been sold to a developer, and the gardeners have just days to leave, and they’re hoping some kind of miracle can keep it from being plowed under.
It’s called Plant and Soul California, a native plant garden on Race Street in the middle of San Jose’s urban landscape.
“There is nothing else like this anywhere in San Jose,” said board member Jessicka Chamberlin.
She walked through the garden pointing out all kinds of edible plants that most people don’t even realize can be eaten: fennel flowers, French sorrel, salt bush, nasturtiums.
“For instance, this tree behind us over here, this is an elderberry,” said Chamberlin. “You can make pies. We make custard from the berries. We make syrup from the berries.”
But on Sept. 30, they got a letter from the property owner saying it was in escrow to be sold. And they were given 20 days to move out, meaning their last day is Tuesday, Oct. 20. This weekend they held a community yard sale to raise some money, but also to raise awareness of what was happening.
“It’s sad to see that it might have to move. It’d be nice to see if they could save it,” said Delmar Duldulao, a professional landscaper who grows edible plants in his own front yard. He began volunteering at Plant and Soul just a few weeks ago, not sure what it would be like.
“I’m a farmer in this city, and I just took to this place like, wow, this is beautiful to me,” he said. “It’s actually been inspiring, let’s just put it that way. It’s been actually more inspiring than I expected it to be.”
With little money, and even less time, they’re banking on a miracle to keep the dream from dying.
“I mean, there have been miracles before. I give some credit to the plant spirits!” said the garden’s board chair Melissa Blum. “I don’t know how it happens. So, we’re not going to give up until we’re gone. But, I mean, the ideal would be if we got some kind of angel investor and some kind of miracle, and maybe the escrow fell through and, who knows what will happen?”
But even more than the love of the garden is the love for each other. And they say, if they can’t stay there, they’re hoping someone will help them secure another location in the city where the community they’ve built can stay together, providing a place for people to come and enjoy a small respite in nature.
“The garden is a place to come, and slow down, and escape from the pressures of the technological, oppressive era that we live in,” said Jessicka. “People don’t understand the power and the beauty of what we’re standing on, what we drive on every day. And we barely scratched the surface of the potential that this place has for the community.”
