Feral Garden
Food Forest Keepers: Grace and Konner
Self-sufficiency, community, and permaculture go hand in hand. With climate change, increasing grocery prices, and the shrinking green spaces we have open to us, a focus on community building and protection can be built by looking at our environment and planting with intention beyond looks. When we were selected for this program, we were beyond elated! While I had just finished my schooling for permaculture and horticulture, getting experienced designers and systems implemented in my space that I could only dream of was soul-filling. This installation was inspired by the cozy wild look of a cottage garden, incorporating water harvesting, natives, and food. While Feral Garden is still small, she has already begun to support loads of wildlife, insects, fungi, and my family. Soon I hope to have enough to provide for my neighborhood in a tiny free farm stand.
I hope that my space will not only provide food and beauty to my area but also serve as an inspiration that our yards could be so much more!
Site Details
Installation Date:
March 2024
Size:
2,425 square feet (1500 sq ft backyard, 925 sq ft front yard)
Sun Exposure:
6-8 hours
Soil:
Clay
Number of Swales:
2
Secondary Water:
Lawn Conversion
Rainwater
Roof water diverted to swales
Total annual water impact:
81,877 gallons
Design:
Designer: Heath Griffith
Plant List:
Babcock White Peach, Brown Turkey Fig, Fuyu Persimmon, Gala Apple, Kumquat, Jujube Li
Blueberry, Marionberry, Raspberry/Shortcake, Rose, Rosemary, Sage, Salvia greggi
Borage, California Buckwheat, Comfrey, Echinacea, Mullein, Nasturtium, Yarrow
Calendula, Creeping Thyme, Nasturtium, Strawberry
Egyptian Walking Onion
Coastal Live Oak, Emerald Carpet Manzanita, Dark Star Ceanothus, California Buckwheat, Golden Current
Installation
This was an incredible experience! I was amazed by the number of volunteers and friends participating in Feral Garden. On our first day we had a crazy rain storm but that didn’t stop the fun, community, and joy. I was blown away by the amount of work done in a single day and the amount of attention and intention put into every step of the process. I love stepping out into my yard and being greeted by the memory of passion and love put into this space. Thank you everyone for planting these seeds of community.
Vision for the Future
At Feral Garden, we will grow with the flow of our ever-changing world and hope to inspire change. I hope to see neighborhoods filled with trees, flowers, and fruit; where there’s a stand in front of every house with all that we have cultivated being shared and given to anyone passing by. A town where we care for our community and love the people we inhabit this earth with. Because at the end of the day were all human, and we all live here, so let’s take care of each other and our planet.