Community gardens
All ages are welcome to gather, learn, relax, connect with nature, and practice mindfulness at five community garden programs in Santa Ana:
- El Salvador Park Community Garden
- Jerome Park Community Garden (temporary closed, reopening April 20)
- Madison Park Community Garden
- Pacific Electric Park Community Garden
- Roosevelt Walker Community Garden
These gardens promote wellness by encouraging the growth of fruits and vegetables at home and discovering the everyday nature that inhabits urban environments. Each garden acts as their own nature oasis, where interconnections between diverse plant and animal life are observed.
Program staff, volunteers, and community members work together to cultivate and maintain the beauty growing in the gardens. The gardens are utilized collectively by the community for educational and recreational activities, such as: improving soil, growing food, composting, observing nature and collecting seeds. When it is harvest time, all of the food, herbs, and seeds are shared amongst those who volunteered.
We encourage YOU to join us during hours of operation and participate in free workshops, volunteer, or simply observe the nature that exists in our urban environment. Workshops are free, informal, and flexible. With a focus on seed collection, composting, and identifying what plants need to survive and thrive. Registration is encouraged for each season, but participants are welcome to drop-in.
Winter 2025 garden hours of operation
El Salvador Park Community Garden
1825 W. Civic Center Drive
Day | Time |
Monday | 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. |
Wednesday | 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. |
Thursday | 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. |
Saturday | 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. |
Jerome Park Community Garden
2201 W. McFadden Ave.
Day | Time |
Tuesday | 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. |
Wednesday | 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. |
Thursday | 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. |
Friday | 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. |
Madison Park Community Garden
1528 S. Standard Ave.
Day | Time |
Monday | 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. |
Tuesday | 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. |
Wednesday | 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. |
Friday | 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. |
Pacific Electric Park Community Garden
317 E. McFadden Ave.
Day | Time |
Tuesday | 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. |
Wednesday | 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. |
Thursday | 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. |
Saturday | 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. |
Roosevelt Walker Center Community Garden
816 E. Chestnut Ave.
Day | Time |
Monday - Friday | 3 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. |
Benefits of community gardening
- Great source of physical activity!
- Improved mood and mental health
- Ability to produce traditional crops otherwise unavailable locally
- Inter-generational exposure to cultural traditions and recipes
- Social interaction with neighbors
- Cultural exchange with other gardeners
- The food you grow, is the freshest food you can eat
- Composting and prevention of waste
- Eating locally produced food reduces asthma rates, because children are able to consume manageable amounts of local pollen and develop immunities.
- Exposure to green space reduces stress and increases a sense of wellness and belonging.