Caisteal Termonn

Resilient Garden Keepers: Heidi and Mitch

Just across the street from a Sustainable Solano demonstration food forest, El Bosquecito, Caisteal Termonn is a demonstration in community and environmental resilience. Homeowners Heidi and Mitch had dealt with a wildfire taking their home in 2020. The garden was designed around a large maple tree, the only thing that survived the fire, and was named in Gaelic to harken back to Mitch’s native Scottish roots.

Site Details

Installation Date:

December 2022

Size:

700 square feet

Sun Exposure:

4-5 hours

Soil:

Clay

Number of Swales:

1

Secondary Water:

Rainwater

Roof water diverted to swales

Total annual water impact:

20,265 gallons

Design:

Designer: John Davenport

Plant List:

Installation:

Due to heavy December rain, the garden was installed over the course of three main work days. Despite some last minute rescheduling, top soil, mulch, swales, berms, a drip irrigation system, and plants were all added to the yard. Critical support was given by Sustianable Solano volunteers, who worked through the rain to get the garden completed. Special thanks to Jonny and Edlin, the food forest keepers of El Bosquecito, who volunteered their time to make this garden a reality!

Vision for the Future:

Heidi notes that the home was recently rebuilt after losing it to fire in June 2020. “I think showing the community you can come back from a disaster and create something from the ashes would be a moral boost — showing Solano will survive.”

This project was funded through Sustainable Solano’s Resilient Neighborhoods program supported by PG&E’s Better Together Resilient Communities.