“Roots in the Concrete: Urban Gardening in San Francisco”

Amid San Francisco’s towering skyscrapers and crowded streets, something unexpected is beginning to grow. It’s not a sleek new building or another tech launch, it’s a garden. Urban gardening is quietly reclaiming overlooked corners of the city, turning forgotten spaces into vibrant pockets of life, connection, and care. One such transformation is just beginning at 333 Taylor Street, where a man named Scott Litteral is nurturing not just plants, but the seeds of hope.

A Garden in Progress at Glide CW House

At Glide CW House in the Tenderloin District, home to individuals living with illness and disability, Scott Litteral, a longtime volunteer, saw potential in a bare concrete courtyard. Glide provides more than housing, it offers stability, dignity, and care. But Scott imagined something more, a living space where residents could dig their hands into the soil, grow food, connect with nature, and find a moment of peace amid life’s challenges.

“This isn’t just about plants,” he said, standing in the courtyard. “It’s about creating a space that reflects the resilience of the people who live here.”

The project is still in its early stages. The courtyard remains mostly bare, but energy around the idea is taking root. Scott has been rallying volunteers, reaching out to local businesses, and gathering donations of soil, seeds, and tools. A few residents have already expressed interest in helping. Conversations have started, ideas are flowing, and the once-empty courtyard is beginning to feel like a shared project.

If you’d like to support the effort, Glide CW House is accepting donations of plants, gardening tools, and contributions. Items can be dropped off at 333 Taylor Street, where someone is available 24/7 at the front desk. You can also call (415) 674-6100 for more information. To follow their progress or connect with the community, visit their Facebook page: GLIDE CW HOUSE COURTYARD GARDEN.

Why Green Spaces Matter, Especially Here

What Scott is doing at Glide is part of a broader truth, green spaces can change lives. Studies consistently show that gardens, no matter how small, help reduce stress, improve mental health, and strengthen community bonds. For people dealing with illness, housing instability, or isolation, the chance to care for living things and watch something grow can be deeply healing.

In dense urban centers like San Francisco, where neighbors often pass each other without speaking, a community garden becomes more than a patch of greenery. It becomes a place of shared purpose, a space to connect, create, and feel seen.

From Local Project to Global Movement

Scott’s garden is a local example of a global movement. Across cities, people are reclaiming rooftops, balconies, and abandoned lots to grow herbs, vegetables, and flowers. These gardens aren’t just pretty, they’re solutions. In areas known as food deserts, where fresh produce is scarce, gardens bring healthy options within reach.

Projects like Brooklyn Grange in New York have shown what’s possible on rooftops, producing thousands of pounds of produce annually. In Oakland and Los Angeles, community gardens are helping residents take control of their food systems, one raised bed at a time.

Scott hopes Glide’s courtyard can be a catalyst. “If we can make this work here, with limited space and tight resources,” he said, “just imagine what’s possible elsewhere in the city.”

If you’re curious about starting your own garden, a compact tool like a Raised Garden Bed Kit is a great first step. These kits are perfect for tight spaces and help bring sustainability to your doorstep.

One Shovel at a Time

The Glide CW House courtyard is still evolving. But with every conversation, every seed donated, and every shovel of dirt turned, something beautiful is taking shape. Residents are starting to share ideas. Volunteers are showing up. The space, once silent, is beginning to buzz with quiet energy and the promise of growth.

For Scott, the project runs deeper than just planting flowers. “This isn’t only a garden,” he said. “It’s a chance for people to nurture something a reminder that they matter, that they haven’t been forgotten. It’s a step toward healing.”

If you want to be part of this transformation, consider supporting the effort. Donations can be made at 333 Taylor Street. Every contribution helps turn an empty courtyard into a sanctuary.

What Could You Grow?

Urban gardening isn’t just a hobby, it’s a form of resistance, care, and vision. The effort at Glide CW House reminds us that even in the most unlikely places, we can create spaces of beauty, healing, and community. Whether it’s a shared courtyard, a backyard, or a sunny windowsill, every garden is a declaration, we are here, we care, and we are growing.

So, what about your corner of the world? Could a pot of herbs or a planter box make a difference? Could your community benefit from something green and shared? One seed is all it takes.

Let’s grow together.