They held hands as they walked past the beehive box they painted together and the pomegranate trees they pruned with her father. They stepped by a plot of dirt where they had planned on planting a mango tree, but now might not get the chance.
"It's not just a garden," said organizer Nancy Aragon. "It's a community treasure."
The hospital later offered, and then rescinded, a six-month lease extension to see if they group could maintain the garden, Armendariz said.
But Irene Pethe garden's executive director, said the overgrown vegetation was a result of the garden temporarily shutting down for the winter, and that the garden was in fine shape during the summer. "There was nothing wrong," she said.
The previous lease expired Dec. 31.
Hospital officials say they plan to keep the space open to gardeners and have made preliminary arrangements with two nonprofit groups to keep the garden going.
The garden, located on Bridge Street next to the hospital, was once a vacant lot after four homes were torn down years ago, residents say. It was founded in 1999 by Dr. Robert Krochmal, a White Memorial physician.
Monica Okita, who grew up next door to the garden, began working there last year because her son wanted to marry there. She and other family members replaced the canvas on a shade covering and made other repairs to prepare for the event. Now a resident of South Pasadena, she still comes by regularly to tend some of the 63 trees.
"It's nice to work with my hands and see something tangible at the end," said Okita on a recent morning as she pulled weeds from the base of a peach tree.
Sarah Jo Portnoy, a USC professor, has been taking students to the garden since 2011 as part of a Latino food culture course she teaches. "It's a small example that shows how a community can be independent and provide their own food source," she said.
Peaid the group could lose the grant if they do not have access to the land.
Garden members have been trying to negotiate a new lease since last summer.
Armendariz said hospital officials were finalizing agreements with two nonprofit groups to continue agricultural work, although he declined to identify the potential tenants. He said the hospital would not displace anyone who is currently growing crops.
That will push out the long-standing community that has coalesced around the garden and limit the opportunities for children, such as her son, to contribute to it, Montoya said.
"I can't let that happen," she said.
Times staff writer Stephen Ceasar contributed to this story.
jason.song@latimes.com
Twitter: @byjsong
