A More Convenient Truth

At a time of severe environmental crisis surrounding global warming, the rise of green house gases and the depletion of the rainforests, it can be overwhelmingly depressing to think about the condition our world is in. In the middle of a city, overlooking the Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge, hidden amongst San Francisco’s Jesuit University is a spectacular garden offering plants and flowers full of life, abundance, growth, and views of the city that seem to sparkle.

From this tranquil space, the red peaks of the Golden Gate Bridge, a beacon of hope and new life for pioneers in the early 20th century who traveled west with gold in their eyes, can be seen. It seems appropriate that this lush garden peaks over through the trees and watches over the city daily. Looking out at the view, with a clear blue sky and perfect springtime warmth, environmental stresses were the furthest thing from my mind.

Father Tom Lucas, a Jesuit professor at USF, maintains this secret garden, as he called it, because “it’s cheaper than psychotherapy.” He does his part to promote a healthy environment by planting olive trees, lemon trees, flowers, desert plants, all encompassed by the serene sound of a trickling fountain. The garden is shared among the 30 Jesuits in the community as a place to relax and find a piece of nature in the middle of the city. “Gardens give you breathing room. Gardens give you mental room,” Lucas said.

A block away, on the corner of Stanyan and Fulton Street, is another example that gardens continue to be a saving grace for our human and environmental welfare. The sprouting community garden is quite a contrast from the Jesuit garden but it proves, nonetheless, that people are not giving up on allowing beauty and life to continue thrive.

Just as the Golden Gate Bridge stands strong against time, and all its effects, the little garden at the Loyola House remains an optimistic expression of health and growth in an environmentally challenged time.