There is an extensive amount of information on the University of California Master Gardener website about how to start a School Garden.  They developed an on-line guidebook, Plant a Seed, Watch it Grow, to help walk you through all you might need for a rich gardening experience.

Community Gardening Advice and Resources is now nationally recognized that community gardening improves people’s quality of life by providing a catalyst for neighborhood and community development, stimulating social interaction, encouraging self-reliance, beautifying neighborhoods, and more.

List of organizations dedicated to supporting urban forestry to improve communities.

List of organizations in San Diego providing home gardening and per control information

Horicultural Societies in San Diego promote the enjoyment, art, knowledge and public awareness of horticulture while providing the opportunity for education and research.

Urban forest related information specific to the incorporated cities and towns in San Diego County are as follows:

The San Diego Children and Nature (SDCaN) Collaborative is a group of many local organizations that share a common concern that today’s children have less and less opportunity to experience nature.

In 1973, a five acre hillside on the main campus of Palomar College was set aside for an arboretum. Soon thereafter, many trees, palms and bamboos from around the world were planted and labeled, making the arboretum not only an area for the study of botany, but also a place to study, relax and bond with nature.

Balboa Park in the center of San Diego has 19 named specialty gardens. The most prominent garden being the Botanical Building with the lily pond as one of the most photographed scenes in San diego.

San Diego Botanic Garden (formerly Quail Gardens) is located in Encinitas, 30 minutes north of San Diego.  The garden of approximately 35 acres features numerous exhibits, including rare bamboo groves, desert gardens, a tropical rainforest, California native plants

The South Bay Botanic Garden was officially established in January of 2008.  It really began, however, in 1974 as part of the new college horticulture program.

The Water Conservation Garden has nearly five acres of displays that showcase water conservation through a series of beautiful themed gardens, such as a native plant garden and a vegetable garden, as well as how-to displays such as mulch and irrigation exhibits.

Garden Clubs seem to come and go, and a club may not have a current up-to-date web site. Clubs have regular meeting, usually with topical speakers. Follow the link below to find the meeting place, time and topic.  The link should also let you find a contact for that particular club. The list is for information only and is not an endorsement.

List of California resources for healthier and more prosperous communities through collaborative action and investments in urban forests and urban greening.

List of US associations and organizations sponsored by nation wide institutions like the Arbor Day Foundation, the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters

There are numerous grant programs, in addition to Cal Fire, which support Urban Forestry projects.