DoomsdaysCWFeb 16, 2025

#Garden Visit: A #FrontYard #FoodForest in Alameda, #California 🌿 💚

Story by Laura Fenton, January 28, 2025

"We’ve often swooned for Bay Area landscape design/build firm Pine House #EdibleGardens‘ lush and productive landscapes, but this project caught our eye because it is particularly relatable: a postage stamp-sized yard in front of a classic #bungalow. The garden proves that even the smallest front yard can be a productive food forest and a feast for the eyes."

Learn more:
https://www.gardenista.com/posts/garden-visit-front-yard-food-forest-alameda-ca/
#SolarPunkSunday #UrbanGardening #UrbanFoodForests #Gardening

Show threadHippy SteveFeb 16, 2025

@DoomsdaysCW

It's a beautiful landscape. But I see a LOT of non edible plants. Succulents, ferns, Japanese Maple tree. And ferns tend to be water hungry.

Show threadDoomsdaysCWFeb 16, 2025
@exador23 Oh sure. I think it looks better than a lawn. And I adore bungalow-style houses. I grew up in a neighborhood that had a couple of those houses, and friendly neighbors inhabiting them. They let me look around, which was very cool. Both houses had lots of original features -- unlike my grandparents' house, which was Arts & Crafts style, but had a lot of modifications, and only a few original features.
Show threadHippy SteveFeb 16, 2025

@DoomsdaysCW

It looks great. And I tend to do drought tolerant rather than edible landscapes in SoCal. It's just surprising to see a space designed by a company that specializes in 'edible gardens' get featured as a 'food forest' when they skimped on a bunch of opportunities.

The japanese maple is particularly curious. I would expect a fruit tree of some sort. There are even purple leaved ones like https://steemit.com/food/@donkeypong/purple-leaf-plums-more-than-a-pretty-leaf

And up against the house could be cooking sage, peppers, yarrow, blueberry bushes, ... all sorts of edible stuff that looks good and would justify the water usage at a SoCal home.

Purple Leaf Plums: More Than a Pretty Leaf — Steemit

Ornamental versions of fruit trees often disappoint me. Most of them are grown for the beauty of their blossoms, but… by donkeypong

Steemit
Show threadHisstogrammaFeb 16, 2025
@exador23 @DoomsdaysCW @ai6yr I am a fan of pomegranate trees in dry climates.
Show threadAI6YR Ben
@hisstogramma @exador23 @DoomsdaysCW Ah yes, they are very drought tolerant. I have three, which is probably two more than I need, LOL... (the largest, Wonderful, shades the south side of my house in summer but lets the sun in during winter).
Feb 16, 2025 at 10:36pmWeb
Show threadHippy SteveFeb 16, 2025

@ai6yr @hisstogramma @DoomsdaysCW

They're great trees or hedges even for SoCal. Require quite a bit of pruning when young to get nicely shaped tree though.

Show threadAI6YR BenFeb 16, 2025
@exador23 @hisstogramma @DoomsdaysCW I haven't figured out the pomegranate pruning... my trees are random hedges, LOL.
Show threadHippy SteveFeb 16, 2025

@ai6yr @hisstogramma @DoomsdaysCW

A friend has a nice 50+ old one shading the entire back yard that was pruned really well when young. It makes a very handsome and interesting tree and doesn't require much pruning in maturity then. But yeah. most people just let them be hedges. You get plenty of fruit regardless for little to no input in terms of water or fertilizer.

Show threadDB SchweinFeb 16, 2025

@exador23 @ai6yr @hisstogramma @DoomsdaysCW

Of course if you do prune them their yield jumps!

Show threadHippy SteveFeb 17, 2025

@deirdrebeth @ai6yr @hisstogramma @DoomsdaysCW

Turns out there are pomegranate varieties that are cold hardy down to 0F. Maybe I should get some going up in camp.

Show threadDB SchweinFeb 17, 2025

@exador23

Oh really?
I need to wait to see if the three things I planted last year make it, but a pomegranate would be a great addition! I only ever knew them as warm weather plants 😛

@ai6yr @hisstogramma @DoomsdaysCW