Deirdre Newman Bruce Royer has done his...

Deirdre Newman

Bruce Royer has done his part. Now he is just waiting for Mother

Nature and the wheels of educational bureaucracy to do theirs.

Royer created a garden at the YMCA in Newport Beach to give

something back to the community. Eight plots are fertile with

potential. One will yield strawberries. Another has been planted with

a variety of vegetables.

Royer envisions students from around Orange County coming to the

garden to plant seeds, harvest fruits and vegetables and learn about

the different stages of a plant’s life. Eventually, the students

could get experience with charity by donating the garden’s bounty to

food banks, Royer said.

But so far, no schools have taken advantage of Royer’s creation.

The garden on University Drive overlooking the Back Bay sits empty,

devoid of visitors, waiting patiently to showcase its lessons in

nature.

“It’s difficult to get the word out,” Royer lamented.

Royer, who admitted he had zero experience in gardening before

embarking on this project, wanted to do a community service project.

Standing in the side doorway of the YMCA two years ago and looking

out past the grassy field and the sand volleyball court, Royer said

he was inspired.

What was there was basically a jungle of weeds and mounds of dirt.

What Royer saw was a garden.

To make his vision a reality, Royer solicited donations from

businesses in the community and was successful in obtaining

necessities like loaders to clear and level the land, fencing to

protect the garden and seeds to plant.

He also got some help from an organization called Mens

International, which just happened to contact the YMCA for a service

project as his garden was materializing.

“They were a godsend,” Royer said of the 60 men who volunteered.

“They were angels. They put in the fence, cleared some of the

remaining brush, laid all the railroad ties and drilled holes.”

The garden was finally ready to go public a month ago. While it

was under construction, Royer diligently contacted schools throughout

Orange County. But so far, he has only gotten nibbles of interest as

he waits for the schools’ administrative processes to churn.

“All these great people have been involved with donating,” Royer

said. “I would like to see it being used.”

Only an Eagle Scout project has taken advantage of the garden,

building a potting shed in the far corner.

Although the YMCA hosts after-school programs in Santa Ana, Costa

Mesa and Tustin, getting those kids to the garden would only be

possible a few times a year because of the limited transportation

budget, said Stacy Sanchez, community programs director.

Despite the lack of visitors, Royer already has plans to expand

the garden -- grow blackberry, blueberry and raspberry plants and add

an overhang trellis.

Sanchez said she admires Royer’s tenacity in taking the garden

from a seedling of a thought to fruition.

“Bruce has been very driven in the whole process of starting [the

garden] and getting members involved,” Sanchez said. “Without him, it

wouldn’t have happened ....We’re fortunate to have members like him.”

For more information or to plan a field trip to the YMCA garden,

call Royer at (714) 968-3237.

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at [email protected].