There was an article in Sunset Magazine that inspired me to change the way I looked at my yard forever.

 

The article had beautiful pics and a story of a young child picking breakfast from his yard. He went to the chicken coop pulled out fresh eggs and put them in a basket along with peppers, tomatoes,  lettuce and herbs. He brought that basket to his mother and she made breakfast for her the family with it. It was then I decided my yard was going to provide for my family the same way.

​

That was 13 years ago. 

​

I began to transform my yard that day by removing & rehousing all the tropical plants I had been lovingly growing. (Hibiscus, banana trees, bird of paradise, ginger and a grass lawn. )

My vision to create an outdoor space so as my neighbors walked by I could share some of my harvest as well as a laugh or two. I planted a grape vine and put four raised beds in the front yard and had chickens in the back. 

I called it the learning garden for my kids and their friends to learn from. 

They helped me plant seeds, harvest vegetables, pull eggs from the chicken coop, compost our kitchen scraps, and keep our worm bin. 

​

Today we have 7 raised beds, several potted veggies, a grape and passion fruit vine, 5 fruit trees, 2 compost piles and worm bin. 

 

We’re able to produce A LOT of food! 

 

We compost and re-use and recycle almost everything. 

​

So lucky I live in a climate where I garden year round.