The formal grounds were completed in 1939. The entire landscaping project cost $129, 944 ($100,000 was borne by the WPA, and the remainder was borne jointly by the City and County).
In 1943, during World War II, the state of the country was reflected in the gardens. Victory Garden beets were grown in the flower beds lining the east and west sides of the Civil Center (original name). Cabbages were also planted on the west side of the building. The vegetables were donated to the Home for Convalescent Children, the Children's Aid Society, and the Boys and Girls Home. New palms and other varieties of trees, shrubs and flowering plants were added during the following decades, but the overall aesthetics of the original layout design remained unchanged.
During the 1980’s, growing concern about the availability of water in San Diego led to the installation of a larger cemented area of the site. A low-water-use demonstration garden was installed on the east side of the building in 1984. This was intended to serve as an example of xeriscape techniques that could be utilized by local landowners. It used indigenous plants and others that were well adapted to San Diego's semi-arid climate. In 1998, the xeriscape garden was refurbished. Some of the larger specimen plants from the original garden, such as the Flannel Bush, Catalina Ironwood, Guava, Toyon, and Hong Kong Orchid Tree, were kept. Bulbs, flowering shrubs, and ground covers were added. Differing from the original garden, the current gardeners added rock mulch. This mulch provides optimum soil protection for the plant material, as well as an aesthetic finish.
Click here to view low water use garden.
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