There was a time in the South Hayward area when the community would gather and grow fresh produce for everyone. That time has long since passed, and the Hayward Community Garden is closed.

As you enter the vacant garden, we can still hear the humming of the electrical power lines that hang high above the garden. Looking closely, there is evidence of a mysterious gardener(s) still contributing to the garden.

In the air, there is a strong, potent smell of onions. So many of these onions are ripe for the taking. So whoever planted these, they have been doing this for a while. These onions grew about 5 feet tall.

There was also an area for flowers as well. Beautiful roses and carnations were planted. These weren’t outshined by the stench of onions. These flowers were handled with lots of care because they looked amazing in an abandoned community garden.

Along with the fields of vegetables and flowers, there were also many fruit trees. These consisted of avocados, figs, and peach trees. They were spread all across the gardens, so there was plenty to go around.

So why is it important to know that this specific garden exists? There’s only so much the few contributors of the gardens can do. The gardens itself is surrounded by apartment complexes. If everyone would gather and contribute, they could unlock the potential that these closed community gardens have to offer.

The gardens could also alleviate the issue of not having access to affordable produce. With so many of these big chain markets, it’s just not viable to go there. They are also so very far from this area, so having these gardens reopen would be very beneficial to the area.

So if you’re ever on Whitman Street in Hayward, make sure to check out this local gem and discover the many hidden treasures that this garden has to offer.