BrightView Donation Benefits Community Garden Makeover

Set against the beautiful backdrop of Cowles Mountain is the San Carlos Community Garden. It has become a space for residents of San Carlos, in the eastern suburbs of San Diego, and surrounding areas to come and grow their own organic, healthy foods and flowers.

The garden was established in 2012 from a grant funded by the San Diego Health and Human Services Agency, and now with its 10th anniversary in 2022, the garden is undergoing a little makeover.

As part of its anniversary project, BrightView has donated landscaping and irrigation for the garden.

BrightView became involved when Kelly Wood, co-founder and Vice-Chair of the garden, reached out to BrightView’s senior human resources business partner Darlene McConville. Kelly and Darlene were working together through an education partnership BrightView has with University of Arizona Global Campus.

“Kelly reached out regarding the Garden’s 10-year anniversary and a potential partnership with BrightView,” McConville said. “It was an opportunity we felt would be great for us to be a part of.”

The beautification project took three weeks of design, planning, and installation and was revealed on March 26 during the Garden’s 10th Anniversary Celebration, an event which attracted hundreds of community members and was honored by the County of San Diego’s Supervisor Joel Anderson and City of San Diego Councilmember Raul Campillo, commemorating the day as San Carlos Community Garden Day. BrightView donated plant material, boulders, irrigation installation, and plant installation.

Eitan Altman, a nearby resident and active member of the California Native Plant Society, the San Diego Audubon, and the Garden recently shared his sentiments about BrightView’s impact.

“The Garden is an important resource for our community in creating awareness about sustainable and environmentally-friendly landscaping practices,” he said. “The installation of the San Carlos Community Garden sign and professional landscaping by BrightView has given the Garden a sense of permanence and inclusion, creating an atmosphere which invites people into the Garden who may not have even been aware of its existence previously. I, myself, am a perfect example.”

The garden offers 63 raised plots for the community, 12 raised beds for Sierra School of San Diego students, a 30-fruit-tree orchard, an herb garden, and a 160-foot dry creek bed that is planted with California native species. There is also a labyrinth, an outdoor classroom amphitheater, and the site is designated a Monarch Way Station and a Food2Soil composting site.

Also hosting workshops, classes, and events, the gardens can truly be considered a place for the community to gather and get their hands dirty digging in the soil. BrightView is proud to be able to contribute to this project and give back to the communities its team members live in.

“To be able to help a community that is focused on improving the environment and creating a space for them to gather is remarkable,” said David Howell, BrightView Vice President & General Manager. “This not only supports the community, but also the local school where kids learn to grow vegetables and fruit. It is really a great feeling to see the passion behind the project and to be a part of it.”