7/31/2004:The lot that has been the home of the South Berkeley Community Garden since 1987 is for sale. The garden is located on Martin Luther King, Jr. Way between Oregon and Russell Streets. It is L-shaped and extends to Russell Street. The person who held the title to the land has died, and the property is being sold by Red Oak Realty. Gardeners were notified of the death of the owner in early July and were given only 3 weeks to try to come up with money to buy the lot. About 10 potential buyers have gone to check out the lot, but apparently due to the potential karmic affects of a purchase of land that is not "developed," none has placed an offer on the lot. The gardeners are still looking for people who can put up money to help them buy the land. In the meantime, they continue to work on the garden- on a recent Saturday one man was replacing a rebar signpost with a wooden one, another was watering plants, and a neighborhood cat was keeping the gardeners company. Fruits, vegetables, and herbs in the garden include raspberries, figs, tomatoes, squash, beans, and borage. The volunteers will soon be able to put more of the land in the lot under cultivation, as Spiral Gardens will be moving its tables and plants out. In addition to benefactors who can help buy the land, the gardeners are also looking for more people to work in the garden. Garden workdays are on Sundays from 11am to 3pm.
Announcement of sale | 7/26 Update | Photos from 7/31: 1 | 2