Abuelos Garden

Food Forest Keepers: Miguel & Sandra

At first, my wife, Sandra, and I were hesitant to build our “food forest,” but now we are thankful our son Jonathan insisted on converting our dull green front yard into a beautiful vibrant space to reconnect with my farm-working days while growing up in the Central Valley with my father. Today, with a fraction of the cost we used to spend to have a nice green lawn, we have a beautiful area to spend our afternoons on, but the most important is the water savings that have been accomplished.

Al principio me esposa Sandra y yo dudabamos en contruir nuestro “bosque de comida”, hoy estamos agradecidos con nuestro hijo Jonathan que insistio sin cansancio a que convirtieramos nuestra aburrida yarda verde en un espacio hermoso y vibrante para que me reconectara cuando trabaje en el campo en el Valle Central con mi padre. Hoy, con una fraccion del costo que pagabamos por tener una yarde verde, tenemos una area en la que nos podemos pasar todas las tardes pero lo mas importante es el consumo de agua que hemos logrado para todos los californianos.

Site Details

Installation Date:

May 2023

Size:

1,760 square feet

Sun Exposure:

8 hours

Soil:

Clay

Number of Swales:

1

Secondary Water:

Lawn Conversion

Rainwater

Roof water diverted to swales

Total annual water impact:

92,723 gallons

Design:

Designer: John Davenport

Plant List:

Apple, Cherry, Fig, Lemon, Lime, Peach, Pineapple Guava, Western Redbud

Bush Clover, Ceanothus (Ray Hartman/Skylark/Darkstar), Lavender, Rosemary, Scarlet Sage, Sage, Sunset Gold Breath of Heaven

Bee Balm, Blue Dicks, Blue Eyed Grass, Borage, California Aster, California Fuchsia, California Poppy, Chamomile, Comfrey, Hummingbird Sage, Echinacea, Fennel, Lemon Balm, Lemongrass, Marigolds. Mexican Hat, Mint, Stevia, Sorrel, Tree Collard, Valerian, Yarrow

Alyssum, Creeping Jenny, Lambs Ear, Nasturtium, Strawberries, Thyme

Chayote

Vision for the Future:

I am retiring at the end of the year and this “food forest” will take care of me as much as I will take care of it, because it reminds me of my grandparents, my parents. It is a legacy for my two sons, Michael and Jonathan, and their offspring.

Me retiro al fin de este ano y este “bosque de comida” me va a entretener mucho en la forma en la que yo lo voy a cuidar porque me recuerda a mis abuelos, a ms padres. Es un legado para mis dos hijos Michael, Jonathan sus hijos y los hijos de sus hijos.