I’m creating a Food Forest!

We have lived in our current house five years. The front yard is like a jungle, with a couple of “paths” carved through it, and it contains special places–a secret swing, a secret garden, a secret playhouse, a place to sit and think (several of those, actually), and lots of unexpected plants. But in the summer, when the rains come, I have these vines and weeds that grow–well, like vines and weeds, and I pretty much have to break out the machete in order to keep my paths clear.

So the other day, in an effort to curtail my dream of moving to Montana and watching sunset over a bunch of horses (the result, in part, of reading THE BREAKING OF EZRA RILEY), I thought I should focus on doing something with the house I already live in. To appreciate the fact that I live in the subtropics and this is the best time of year weather-wise.

So I started watching these videos on Youtube–channel GREEN DREAMS, about a guy near me who turns Florida jungles into edible landscapes. Food forests. And I love the idea. I’ve always loved gardening, but it can be a bit overwhelming when you’re staring at a forest. So Pete is going to come in and clean out my yard, create a blueprint, and put in some lovely plants. After that, I’ll have a garden I can work on as time progresses, planting and futzing about to my heart’s content.

So here’s a “before” photo–and I’ll be sharing “after” photos as the work commences. Pete and his crew start working tomorrow, and I’m excited (though I will probably have a heart attack when my privacy screen is gone)! I’m also hoping this will be something enjoyable for my airbnb guests–something different from staying in someone’s guest room.

The “before” photo of one of my garden paths. The recent freeze ravaged some of my plants.

Check out some of those Green Dreams videos on Youtube if you’re interested–and maybe you can recommend some edible plants for my garden landscape. I already have bananas, but need some more citrus and maybe an avocado and loquats. And pineapple, of course, as long as the bunnies don’t eat them!

Stay tuned for the progress!