Along a barren and commercial district of Big Bear City is a beautifully landscaped strip of land which holds two gardens: a Xeriscape Demonstration Garden and the Big Bear Community Gardens Project named China Gardens.

According to the Big Bear Lake Department of Water and Power, the Xeriscape demonstration garden was established in an effort to suggest plants that residents could grow requiring low water usage. The caretaking of the plants, space for the community garden, and use of water was exchanged between the BBLDWP and the community garden group to establish this beautiful section.

Plants include a variety of natives local to Big Bear including buckwheat, sage, yarrow, and succulents. This website provides more specific information about the Xeriscape plantings: https://www.bbldwp.com/196/Xeriscape-Demonstration-Garden

The Xeriscape garden serves as a border to the raised beds of the Big Bear City community garden. The Community Garden is locked and not accessible by foot; however, you can catch many good views from the Xeriscape Garden and see the orderly rows of vegetables. My first impression is that it is all very well tended.

The community garden is as an homage to the China Gardens which were gardens established by the Chinese in Big Bear during the 1850s. Food grown here is distributed to the local food pantry.

This is all very impressive considering the 7,000 foot elevation and extreme temperatures of this mountainous region.

The find the gardens, it is located on Fox Farm Rd and Big Bear Blvd. Or if you find yourself on it like we did during our bicycle route, then take the time to stop for a few minutes and observe the plantings.

This is the link to the Big Bear Community Gardens with pdf information on beginning gardening: https://bbvcgp.weebly.com