Get hands dirty Sunday

How does their garden grow? Come and see.

Garden members, families, friends and interested community members are invited to attend the grand opening of the South Laguna Community Garden from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Eagle Rock and Virginia Way.

The celebration will include a pot luck, children’s activities and music, sponsored by the South Laguna Civic Assn.

“The garden is much better than I ever expected,” said former Mayor Ann Christoph. “It’s one of the best experiences I’ve had since I’ve been in Laguna.”

The garden is verdant with tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages and many kinds of lettuce. Some of the gardeners have decorated their plots.

Christoph, a landscape architect, association President Bill Rihn and Morrie Granger coordinated the garden organization.

Laguna Nursery owner Ruben Flores installed the plumbing and gates, donated fence posts, arranged for planter boxes and planting soil, provided advice and demonstrations, and served as the contractor of record.

The garden is divided into 30 equal plots, some shared, and one common garden at the lower end of the lot where large plants such as corn, pumpkins and sunflowers are grown to be harvested by all the members.

There are 45 gardeners, not including family members.

“The garden has brought out people that some of us have never seen before,” Christoph said. “Some come and sit and say, ‘This is so nice.’”

Virginia Way between Eagle Rock and Second Avenue will be closed to traffic from 1 to 5 p.m.

Participants are asked to bring a dish or snack for one-plus people and their own beverages. Water, tables, paper goods and utensils will be provided.

Donors also include Paul Tran, who gave permission to use his property for the garden; the city, which waived plan check and permit fees and approved the street closure; and the South Coast Water District, which waived the water meter fee.

Geoff and Julie Beckham donated the shed, which was moved by Laguna Beach Towing and Recovery.

Shary Selzer painted the garden sign. John Verdugo donated the breccia rocks for planter borders and Tri-State Materials provided the rocks for the revetment, which Steve and Liza Stewart’s landscaping company installed.

Paul Cox donated the top soil, Kellogg’s Garden Products donated the planter soil and Lenar proved the mulch.

Soil was leveled by Gapp Construction. Laguna Asphalt Paving did the paving.