Gardening has always been an important part of the activism surrounding People's Park. Much user development occurs during concerts. Many an outhouse or bench has been installed during a concert, only to be ripped out by university police the following day. In the photograph shown below, a gardener has brought up the issue of planting native Californian plants. A recent drought in perennially water-hungry California has underscored the importance of this concern.
Native plants use less water and require less care than non-native plants.
Thus, environmentalists encourage citizens to plant native plants in their own gardens. In the long run, this can damage the local ecosystem. This gardening picture was taken in 1991. This area is a vacant lot on Telegraph Avenue, a short diagonal walk from the park. Replacement affordable housing was supposed to be built on the site, but year after year it has remained a muddy hole.