The new succulent garden next to Dock B in Oceanside Harbor has received dozens of compliments from residents and visitors alike.
“They’re just beautiful!” exclaimed a boat owner from Dock B when he walked by earlier this month.
One visitor to the harbor compared it to the sea floor with its colorful cacti, coral-like succulents, and vibrant jade plants.
However, the City of Oceanside takes no responsibility for the new garden.
This work was done by Marlon Bringas, a retired commercial truck salesman who has become a “guerilla gardener” in the Oceanside area.
Guerrilla gardening is the practice of planting where the gardener does not have the legal right to garden and has a long history of political or environmental activism. Activists often participate in this trend to reclaim derelict urban areas.
However, Bringas said he intended to simply beautify his city.
Bringas started his project after he saw a discarded jade bush floating in the harbor and decided to plant it among the rocks. After a few months of work and an estimated thousand dollars, the garden blossomed, and this became his passion.
“I thought that it was really cool that he was putting some time and effort back into the space that he has been enjoying,” said Micaiah Hardison, owner of an oil painting studio next to the succulent garden. “[He is] being a community member and beautifying it. I wished everyone looked around and thought about how they can make the place better.”
Most of the plants were “misfits” from a friend’s nursery in San Clemente. Since they had irregularities like rashes, the plants could not be sold and were donated to Bringas’ cause. Other plants were collected from around the area.
“I’ve been doing this for a while,” Bringas said, “so I [have] an eye for where to put what, where. These have all been switched around 100 times ‘til Tuesday.”
Bringas said he developed a green thumb when he planted drought-tolerant plants in his girlfriend’s residence in Carlsbad to reduce water usage and bills.
Despite the positive public reception, Bringas was told to remove the garden by the city of Oceanside.
The Harbor Master, Joseph Ravitch, did not respond to calls but stated in an email exchange: “While we appreciate community members who take pride in their surroundings, we have policies in place regarding modifications to City property, including landscaping, to ensure safety, accessibility, and consistent maintenance standards…We value the passion our community members have for beautification, and we’re always open to discussing appropriate channels for those interested in contributing to public spaces, such as through our official volunteer programs and community initiatives.”
The City of Oceanside plans to carefully remove the plants and return them to Bringas.
A San Diego resident approached Bringas and asked if she could name his garden after her late husband, Harold, who loved succulents and boating. She recently held a memorial service at the harbor for her late husband and put a plaque among his plants that reads, “Harold’s Garden.”
“I think he should keep doing it even if it’s just as a form of rebellion,” said Hardison, the oil painting studio owner.
Bringas still aspires to plant a garden around the Oceanside Harbor sign, this time with the city’s help.
“Everyone’s been cordial,” said Bringas. “At the end of the day, I just thought I could beautify the area.”
