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Master Garden Expo and expanded gardening programs draw thousands; staff consider trail educational garden
Summary
Staff reported the Master Garden Expo attracted about 3,000 attendees, sold thousands of plants and featured lectures and vendors; commissioners discussed community garden plots and staff said they found other cities often decline large communal plots because of theft and maintenance, but an educational raised‑bed garden on the Oso Creek Trail is in the master plan.
Melanie McGrann described the city’s gardening offerings and recapped the recent Master Garden Expo, which she said drew roughly 3,000 attendees and included vendor booths, an expo hall and multiple short lectures. “We had 3,000 people in attendance... We sold another 1,500 plants, all for $20 or less,” McGrann said.
Commissioners asked whether the city should create community garden plots. Mark (recreation staff) said municipalities they researched often avoid shared garden plots because of theft and management problems, and recommended an alternative educational raised‑bed garden along the Oso Creek Trail near Casa Del Sol. Commissioner Vecchione (who has organized a Ladera Ranch garden) agreed the concept is attractive but noted operational challenges and, in one example, hiring a third party to manage disputes and theft.
