I usually avoid this area as it is a tourist and congested part of Los Angeles, but there is no escaping the corner that is Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue. You may have heard of it during the Oscars awards season as the infamous red carpet is unfurled at this spot. During non-awards season, this corner is actually an outdoor mall with great views of the Hollywood sign. We visited a museum exhibition of a Japanese artist and had lunch and wanted to take advantage of having driven to this spot. During an online search, I found a nearby park which was a mile’s walking distance.

We headed West and encountered a bit of old historical Los Angeles. As you walk towards Wattles Mansion and Gardens, you will pass the community garden. The community garden is a sight to behold. At about 4 acres, it is a nicely tended community garden. There is no public access to this community garden, only for its participating 200-300 members. There is some visibility through the fences to view the garden allotments.

While researching information on this community garden, it actually holds a historical marker within the City of Los Angeles as Cultural Monument, No. 579. The community garden was established in 1975, by Major Tom Bradley during this initiative to have more community gardens. It is one of the oldest in Los Angeles. One of the things you will notice here is the age of some of the plants through its unique variety and size.

The fruit trees adjacent to Hollywood Boulevard is an avocado and olive grove which once served as the garden entrance to the Wattles Mansion.

This cactus does double duty as security and has a nice lean support against the perimeter fence. Upon looking at the variety and size of the cactus, I could sense the age behind these plants.

During my visit, it was winter and citrus season with the many different types of citrus from mandarins to lemons.

The succulents were large, healthy, and flowering.

From the Wattles Mansion hill, there is a lovely view overlooking the community garden.

Without diverting too much from the garden, I want to mention that the Wattles Mansion has the architectural Spanish style that is common within Southern California. This mansion was designed by Myron Hunt, the notable architect that designed the mansion of the grand dame of all gardens, the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens in San Marino.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the Wattles Community Garden would occasionally host community events or culinary events highlighting organic gardening. Those and the mansion events have been temporarily suspended due to Covid. In the meantime, the garden is still a lovely respite from the hectic entertainment corner of the world.

For videos and more pics, visit the Wattles Community Garden link: https://wattlesfarm.com.