Community Corner
On a Rocky Hillside, a Remarkable Garden Grows
Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was Debbie Chin's garden in El Cerrito. We can only guess at the many painstaking hours required to create and maintain the striking cultivated plot that adorns the large, steep hillside behind her home.
Editor's note: Those who've driven along the northern end of Contra Costa Drive in the El Cerrito hills may have a noticed an impressive, carefully tended garden covering an expansive slope on the eastern side of the road. We'd like to thank John Aronovici, who lives near the garden, for the attached photos and short description below. He says it reminds him of the locally famous former hillside garden created by the late Sundar Shadi on Arlington Boulevard.
Debbie Chin lives in an El Cerrito home that has a beautiful view of the Bay. Her lot extends down to the street below, which is Contra Costa Drive. Last year she decided her large lot needed beautification. With the help of two friends, she began to develop a garden with flowers and vegetables reminiscent of that of Sundar Shadi.
Many hundreds of hours of work (and encouragement from her husband) went into her project. Her work was not without a struggle. Fencing keeps the deer from having lunch, but she continues to fight the gophers. Debbie says her garden will never be done, but she has brought much enjoyment to all her neighbors.
Find out what's happening in El Cerritowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
El Cerrito Patch welcomes guest features and columns from members of the community. Those interested in contributing can write to elcerrito@patch.com.
If you like what you find on El Cerrito Patch, you can "like" us on Facebook for another way to get local information and connect with other readers from El Cerrito and Kensington.
