Gardening Education Center (GEC)

The Gardening Education Center (GEC) is a dynamic, experimental garden where UC Master Gardeners employ environmentally sound, water-wise methods to propagate a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs, pollinator plants and cover crops throughout the year. The GEC features a range of growing spaces including raised beds, green houses and in-ground plots as well as the large Johnson-Siu Bioreactor composting system. The GEC is also the location where thousands of tomato plants are carefully grown from seed for the annual Spring Garden Market.

Free classes are held throughout the year to educate the public on the latest research-based techniques for gardening success and environmentally sound horticulture. Please see the Events Calendar for upcoming offerings.

Located adjacent to the Jockey Club at the San Mateo County Event Center, the GEC was established in December of 2017 on what was then a patch of lawn at the edge of the parking lot. With initial funding to improve the site provided by the Bella Charitable Foundation and donations from UC Master Gardeners, the 5,160 sq. ft. plot was fenced, electrical and irrigation systems installed, and three greenhouses were constructed. Multiple layers of sheet mulch were used over the entire area to subdue invasive and persistent Bermuda grass. The GEC opened officially in May of 2018.

2495 South Delaware Street, San Mateo, CA 94403

Enter through the South Delaware Street entrance and proceed to the back of the lot.