By Nicole Newell, Sustainable Landscaping Program Manager
Interested in learning how to turn your home into a sustainable, bountiful oasis? Curious about water, climate and practical solutions you can apply in your own backyard?
Join us Saturday, April 27, for talks and tours of 10 demonstration food forest gardens in Benicia and Vallejo.
These private back and front yards are open once a year for a self-guided tour. Each garden is a unique experience: some are compact front yards, others are on a slope, some share space with animals and small children, some are allowed to grow without restriction, while others are more manicured. They all are lush, food–producing gardens that are fed by secondary water sources (laundry-to-landscape greywater and rainwater). The food forest keepers (homeowners) will be available to share their experience and to answer questions about their custom gardens.
The day will start at 9 am with a presentation by permaculture expert Lydia Neilsen at Avant Garden in Benicia. This empowering talk provides an understanding of permaculture and practical solutions for how each of us can contribute to the restoration of the global water cycle and climate stability. From there, you will get to tour the food forest gardens and see how these practical solutions can be applied to your landscapes through simple designs. (A select group of attendees will have a chance to learn more about permaculture through a private garden tour with Lydia. Find out more about the “Dig in Deeper” special track and register here.)
The demonstration food forest gardens will be open 9 am-2 pm. Stop by Avant Garden between 9-11 am to pick up the list of gardens to tour. You can also sign up that morning to join Lydia on a guided tour of one of the demonstration food forests.
At 2:30 pm, Dog Island Farm in Vallejo will host a guided tour of their working urban farm and the new Grow a Pear Nursery. Vallejo-grown plants will be available for purchase that day at both Loma Vista Farm and Dog Island Farm to add to or begin your own food forest garden!
This program is made possible by the generous support from the Solano County Water Agency.
Check Out the Gardens Before the Tour!
Nourishing Provision
Living and Learning
Marina Place
Birds, Bees & Beyond
Barley’s Bountiful Backyard
The Curious Garden
Greyhawk Grove
Enchanted Cottage Garden
Ripple Effect
Loma Vista Farm
