For this week's Scenes of the City we visited Alemany Farm on the southern slope of Bernal Heights and several other gardens in SF and checked out spring planting, cleaning and maintaining. Also check out details of the Alemany Farm Earth Day Celebration here (scheduled for April 23). Enjoy.

Pineapple Sage grows readily in the cool SF climate and smells like, you guessed it, a pungent pineapple.

Plenty of compost helps amend soil and provide the necessary nutrients.

Rosemary grows like a weed all over the city and when dried out provides an excellent complement to lots of meals.

Lacinato Kale, or as some call it "Dinosaur" Kale, grows year round in the city as long as you keep it from going to seed.

An old wheelbarrow sits withering under a tree as a young volunteer digs into the soil in the distance.

Globe Artichokes grow well in SF after they've become established and well-rooted.

Leaving "plant starts" in a sunny spot is a great way to transition plants from pots to the ground.

Fennel is another vegetable that grows well in SF with little help.

Volunteers maintain the massive Alemany Farm on the southern slope of Bernal Heights.

An old garden statue sits on the Alemany hillside almost hidden by the overgrowth.

Garlic plants burst out of the ground at Alemany Farm.

Weeding is a constant chore to keep up the garden's aesthetic appeal.

Tools of the trade.