3635 Grand View Blvd - Map 4H - Showcase Central!

Learn about their chickens in this video!

Showcase Central - you can pick up maps here, sign up for notification for next years tour and get tips for taking the tour!

This do it yourself garden is practically a farm and a permaculture paradise! Pinwheels, colorful Nepalese flags, solar path lights, wind chimes, trellises, seating areas including tables, chairs and a patio swing, and a fire pit all make the yards more inviting. Enjoy a slide show preview of what you will see here. Honeylove will be a guest presenter at this garden with information about our urban beekeeping initiative. Christy Wilhelmi, founder of Gardenerd and author of the new book Gardening for Geeks, will be there to answer your gardening questions.

This homeowner had always wanted a beautiful and inviting yard with bountiful fruit trees, vegetables and flower gardens. The original property, purchased in 1996 was a messy half acre which included a guest house built in 1923 and a ranch style house built in 1964 - shag carpets and all.

 

The property had beautiful palm trees with large aloe vera plants and Birds of Paradise in the front area with a “tropical” feel, a few fruit trees by the guest house and a huge St. Augustine lawn with a working irrigation system.  The homeowner planted more fruit trees and enjoyed the lawn until it was destroyed during two years of remodeling.  After several failed efforts to restore the lawn, which included Marathon sod and buffalo grass plugs, the irrigation was turned off and the lawn forgotten. Meanwhile, the homeowner used the Do-It-Yourself approach and improved the yards as time and energy permitted. A level back patio was installed, and a small retaining wall added in front to address the slope of the yard. Broken concrete creates pathways in the front and back of the house.

When the homeowner’s son, Jesse Dolan, graduated from UC Santa Cruz where he was the assistant manager of the University farm, he helped to create a more viable, sustainable and beautiful outdoor environment. In March of 2011 Jesse rototilled the large lawn area, laid out footpaths and planting beds and together they started a large organic garden from seeds and a few store bought plants. They also planted flowers and shrubs that enhanced the beauty of the yard, added color and fragrance and attracted bees and butterflies to the property. The first summer brought an abundant harvest of fresh tomatoes, corn, sunflowers, basil, beets, beans and wildflowers.

Jesse also fenced off the orchard area to provide a large free range area for chickens that not only produce fresh eggs daily, but also help provide insect and weed control in that area.

Ice plant and compost help to replenish areas that still show damage from the earlier remodel. Hand watering as needed is now the only source of irrigation.

Learn a little about the history of this block here.