Nice article, Mission Local!
I’ve been a Dearborn Gardener for over 25 years, simply because it is one of the sweetest spots int the City, and you can grow (almost) anything there.
If you know anything about plants and gardening, you can grow prickly pear cactus, artichokes, eggplant, lemon and plums. Also, most flowers…
I have to agree (and disagree) with MS: Many plots lie fallow, because, simply, many people love the IDEA of gardening, but find it hard to maintain over a period of time, meaning regular visits for watering, planting, upkeep, etc.
Urban gardening is not easy.
Parking can be a problem. (I cycle, mostly, except when I have big stuff to carry.)
Theft is unfortunately a reality, along with just plain vandalism.
There can be a lack of diversity, and sometimes issues with finances for planting, or upkeep.
It would be definitey great if more people had access to otherwise wasted space for gardens. We all need green spaces, preferably free, and the more the merrier.

Great map but more should be said about the fundamental inequity of access to gardening spaces in SF, particularly for renters, who cannot start sidewalk gardens. Waitlists for community gardens are all 5-10 years, if not longer, while too often, those who are lucky enough to have obtained plots let them lie fallow, like vacant apartments kept off the market. Then there’s the wide disparity, from one community garden to another, in plot size (compare Alioto mini-park to the Potrero-McKinley gardens), bathroom access and security (compare Alioto to Treat Commons Community Garden- the gardeners at Alioto regularly have to remove human feces and trash from their space). Rec and Park has done an abysmal job in ensuring fair access and maintenance of community gardens throughout the City.

I love this piece on the gardens of SF! But there was a Park and Rec community garden left out of the ones in the Mission – Potrero Del Sol! It’s huge and sunny and I gardened there for 5 years. I have so much love for that garden, it’s full of diverse gardeners and plants and it has a storied history. It’s also under threat having a housing development block the sunlight necessary to sustain the garden.
https://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=The_Farm

https://pdsgarden.org/

https://missionlocal.org/2022/08/shadows-on-potrero-park-del-sol-wont-halt-housing/

In reply to Yerba Buena.

Awesome visualization with the 3D fly over map!

I’ve been on a waiting list for spot in Dearborn garden for well over a decade. Now I’m not able to garden due to health, so I guess someone will get my spot in 10 years. LOL
My neighborhood did the sidewalk gardens and nearly every neighbor opened their tree wells and now we have beautiful gardens all along the block. Though plant thieves suck, they stole bromeliads and just stole my next door neighbors Japanese maple that he put out there.

Wow, this was an amazing piece! Thank you for creating it.

Awesome article I forgot I was on Missonlocal felt like it was chronicle story