Rich Low talks about his garden Wednesday as he peels back some layers of a Stockton red onion in his urban garden on Lodi Avenue. (Jennifer M. Howell/News-Sentinel)

Growing a garden — and goodwill on Lodi Avenue

The lush stands of hollyhocks, scores of tomato plants and more than a dozen fruit trees in Rich Low's garden seem out of place on Lodi Avenue, across the street from McDonald's, just south of Downtown.

But for those who work or live nearby, Low and his garden have become a welcome addition to the neighborhood — as well as a source of endless gifts.

"He gives (fruits and vegetables) to all the neighbors," said Alejandra Maldonado, manager of the Check n Go next door. She and co-worker Victoria Bowman said Low offers them everything from "huge" onions to tomatoes to tasty sunflower seeds throughout the year.

"If he wanted, I'm sure he could put a booth out there and sell it. But he doesn't," Maldonado added. "He just takes enough for himself and his family and gives the rest away."

Nancy Vuong, owner of Color Nails another door down, noted that Low brings her onions and cabbage on a regular basis.

"He's a good guy," Vuong said.

Over the past two years, Low and his twin brother, Rob, have turned the long-vacant commercial lot into a factory for zucchinis, garlic, broccoli, cabbage, beans and corn. That's not to mention the grapes, cherries, plums, apples, oranges and nectarines they expect to produce this year.

"We just grow a whole bunch of stuff. It's always way too much than we can use. So, we just end up giving the stuff away," said Low, 54, a retired biologist with thin gray hair and skin tanned by years in the sun.

Low's family has owned the parcel since the 1930s. It's no more than a quarter of an acre and sits in front of the family's three small rental homes.

Low's mother, Barbara, would occasionally get an offer to buy the empty lot and place a pizza shop or another store there.

But Low said his family never wanted the hassle of a business right in front of their homes. The brothers have kept the lot, even after the rest of the family has passed away.

Rich and Rob Low have lived in Vacaville or Vallejo most of their lives. But they've visited Lodi since childhood and always dreamed of planting a garden on the bare patch of earth.

They just never had the time.

So three years ago, when Rich Low retired from his post as an apiary inspector and agricultural biologist for Solano County, he moved to Lodi and set about fulfilling his dream.

Passersby stop nearly everyday to chat with Rich and Rob, who still lives in Vacaville but comes to help on occasion.

Those waiting at the bus stop feet from the garden have a pleasant sight to see, the brothers noted.

Rob Low said they've had businessmen and women in suits walk over from McDonald's on their lunch break to ask, "Hey, what are you doing over there?"

"It's so out of line to see a garden when you're over there drinking coffee and eating a Big Mac. ... It's kind of peaceful to look at," he added.

Rich Low has watched Lodi and much of Northern California grow with homes, malls and parking lots. And while farms and vineyards still blanket much of the area, he's worried Lodi will soon become too urbanized.

"That's the trend, you watch," he said from inside one of the three rental homes with his companion, Buddy, a 13-year-old Boston terrier at his side.

"That's the way Vacaville is. Those orchards, they're all houses (now)."

Just a few decades ago, it wasn't that strange to find a bevy of fruits and vegetables in a family's front yard, whether that home was within the city limits or not.

"It wasn't unusual to see something like this," Rich Low said of his urban garden.

Now, he said, people are more likely to have a pair of SUVs in front of their home.

Spotting vacant lots in Lodi or Vacaville, Rich said he's more likely these days to ask: "What can you plant there?" than envision a new restaurant or shop.

He said he understands growth and progress will come. But he hopes people, especially the younger generation, will stop for a moment and appreciate what you can grow from the ground.

"This is what we're missing these days," Rich Low said, after grabbing two fists full of dirt in his garden and letting the earth pour from his hands. "I see the kids out here, they don't even know what this stuff is."

Contact reporter Chris Nichols at chrisn@lodinews.com.