Take a tour of Mesa Harmony Garden — as all new volunteers begin by doing — and you will immediately lose sight of the fact that the humble plot, located on the corner of Meigs Road and Dolores Drive, occupies just two-thirds of an acre. Packed to the brim with orange trees, chayote plants, and blooming calendula, the community garden feels much larger.
A nursery and a tool shed are located against one fence, next to a patch of onions, artichokes, and a gargantuan passionfruit vine. There’s one section for native plants that thrive in the shade and another for those that thrive in the sun. Several banana trees dot the southwest corner, offering up hefty bunches of pups. At the top of the plot’s gentle slope, there’s a circle of benches where volunteers gather. And throughout the whole garden, plants are flowering, lining the narrow footpaths, covering the gaps between trees.
The garden’s density is by design. It’s a “food forest,” a permaculture concept where gardeners try to re-create the dynamics of a natural ecosystem. Hence the blankets of vibrant calendula, which have taken on “a life of their own,” in treasurer Pam Lombardo’s words. The orange flowers may not be edible, but they benefit the garden nonetheless by attracting pollinators. Other plants contribute to soil health by fixing nitrogen or offering shade or fertilizer, and still others provide a windbreak against the constant ocean breezes.