PHOTOS: Eagle Rockers Flock to Community Garden Open House

At least 400 people gathered Sunday for an open house and plants sale at the Eagle Rockdale Community Garden & Art Park to help raise funds for new garden beds as well as to celebrate what garden manager Mike Woodward likes to refer to as one of Eagle Rock's great "hidden treasures."

The turnout, by Woodward's tally and that of other garden volunteers, was nothing short of stupendous. "What was nice is that the garden didn't really feel crowded at any point even with a large number of people," Woodward said at the end of the day.

The volunteers are still tabulating how many plants were sold through credit card payments. "But it looks as though we'll have enough to rebuild at least 10 [plant] beds with Trex," Woodward said, referring to the trademark of boards manufactured from recycled material from the floors of wood shops. Trex beds cost about $150 each—twice as much as wooden ones—but last upward of 30 years, Woodward said, adding that wooden boards have a life of a little more than 10 years.

"The biggest success of our open house, though, is not how much money we made, but that people here in Eagle Rock and the surrounding communities learned about our garden," Woodward said. "The enthusiasm of our gardeners and the love they have for this funny little place came through and gave our visitors a glimpse of why we do what we do. That we were able to share that is what made Sunday's gathering worthwhile."

We hope you enjoy these photos.

Related: Why Sunday's Open House at the Eagle Rockdale Community Garden Promises to be a Hit