Burbank Community Garden Set to Open in May is Now Accepting Applications

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Photo Courtesy of Burbank Community Garden Volunteers

An upcoming Burbank Community Garden is set to open in May at the corner of Chandler and Pass and is now taking applications for plot spaces with a deadline of April 15th. The space is set to be an organic garden with 38 raised beds sized 4’x10’ and six inches high called plots. The plots will be available for residents and community members in the area to apply for. There will even be some handicap accessible beds available as well. Recipients will be selected by lottery in early May for a plot based on Burbank residency, lack of garden space, and food insecurity.

“Our main mission is to nurture a diverse, healthy and welcoming environment through food, soil, and people,” said steering committee member Jane Hur.  “We strive to build a positive community center for regenerative action where neighbors come together to celebrate environmental health, community and the nourishment of good food. We welcome people from all backgrounds, races, religions, ethnicities, and want to meet the needs of our disabled and underrepresented peers.”

Burbank Community Garden

The plots are secured for a three year period and will cost $12 a month. Sponsorship funding is available for those with financial hardships so no one will be denied due to a lack of funds. Applications can be submitted online at www.burbankcommunitygarden.org or completed in-person by visiting the Olive Recreation Center on 1111 W. Olive Avenue, Monday – Friday, 9am-7pm.

The 12,000 sq ft vacant lot where the Burbank Community Garden is to open is located on the southwest corner of Pass Avenue and Chandler Boulevard right off the Chandler bike path.  The land is owned by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and leased to the City of Burbank. Local volunteers have been coordinating with the Los Angeles Community Garden Council, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting community gardens throughout the Los Angeles area, and working with Burbank Parks and Recreation department to build out a garden that was planned & approved in 2019.

Plans approved by the City of Burbank in 2019

Soil samples have been taken on the lot and the results will be posted on the  Burbank Community Garden’s website when it becomes available. “Depending on the results, bio-remediation may be needed, including the introduction of organic matter and activated charcoal to absorb residual metals,” said steering committee member Catlan Brinsley. The garden still has a lot of work to be completed including the introduction of water irrigation in which every three beds will share a watering spigot. 

The community garden progress is led by a steering committee of volunteers who have been prepping the lot over the last few months through workdays. The volunteer workdays are open to the public and focus on prepping the garden, weeding, composting, measuring and staking out plots, taking soil tests, and experimenting with water infiltration.  Their upcoming volunteer days are:

Sunday, 4/10 3pm-5pm 

Saturday, 4/16 9am-11am

Friday, 4/22 4pm-7pm

Photo Courtesy of Burbank Community Garden Volunteers

Their 4/22 workday will be a special event for Earth Day and will include fun activities for residents and families like seed ball making, planting, wreath making, edible bouquet making, a soil workshop, and a compost/vermicompost demo. The event will wrap up with a Movement and Mindfulness program in the garden at 6:30 pm.

The Burbank Community Garden’s future goal is to have a space for demonstrations, workshops and gatherings. Outside the fence and along the curb, California drought tolerant natives will be planted in an effort to attract native pollinators and serve as a habitat for butterflies, hummingbirds and other beneficials.

For more information on volunteering, applying for a plot, or to stay up to date on the garden’s progress visit https://burbankcommunitygarden.org.

Photo Courtesy of Burbank Community Garden Volunteers