La Laguna Begins Garden of Aromas Restoration
La Laguna City Council has begun initial work to restore the neglected Garden of Aromas in the San Honorato – Los Molinos neighborhood, aiming to revive the community green space and address long-standing resident requests.
La Laguna City Council announced that initial work has started this week to restore the old Garden of Aromas. This garden is located in the San Honorato – Los Molinos neighborhood. The council's project aims to bring back a community green space that had fallen into disuse. It responds to ongoing requests from local residents and highlights the importance of community involvement in improving urban areas.
The Public Works department, working with Parks and Gardens, is carrying out these first steps. They are digging to determine the project's scope and feasibility. A dangerous wall will also be knocked down and replaced with a new, safe enclosure for future users. These actions follow various ground surveys to assess the available space and ensure the work does not affect nearby homes, which are currently level with the old garden.
The Garden of Aromas was first created in 2018. It was a project led by the La Estación collective and the local neighborhood association. Their goal was to transform an abandoned plot into a place for people to meet and relax. This involved clean-up and improvement days, which included painting a mural. However, despite residents' efforts, the site gradually deteriorated, leading to repeated requests for support from the local council.
The ultimate aim of this project is to create a large landscaped area, complete with benches and other urban furniture. This will encourage social interaction and allow people to connect with nature in this part of the city. Currently, the space remains closed to the public and is in a state of neglect.
The condition of this space has been a topic of political discussion within the council. In July 2024, the Unidas se puede group, at the request of the Los Molinos – San Honorato Neighborhood Association, brought the need for an improvement project to a full council meeting. Councilor Rubens Ascanio, then representing the group, argued for a project that would include infrastructure for the garden's maintenance and security. Later, in March 2025, councilor Idaira Afonso, also from Unidas se puede, asked the local government for an update on this project, which her party had included in its budget proposals for that year.
The Public Works department will carry out the project using its own resources. However, other departments, such as Municipal Services, may get involved in later stages. The exact timeline for the project will be decided once the initial ground surveys are completed.