EDIBLE ESTATES regional prototype garden #2: LOS ANGELES, california
THE LAKEWOOD GARDEN...
This is the southwest regional Edible Estate prototype garden located in the city of Lakewood adjacent to Los Angeles. It is owned by the Foti family (Michael and Jennifer and their daughters Cecilia, 13 and June, 6). The front lawn was removed and the garden was planted over Memorial Day weekend, May 27th-29th, 2006. This garden will be the basis for an exhibition and series of events at Machine Project from September 29th October 30th, 2006. All plants and materials for the Lakewood garden were generously donated by Armstrong Garden Centers. Other parts of the project were made possible by a grant form the Durfee Foundation. It is produced with help from Millard Sheets Gallery as a part of "Fair Exchange", an exhibition of projects by contemporary LA artists curated by Irene Tsatsos to be presented at the L.A. County Fair in September 2006. We will be updating this page regularly with garden developments pictures as it grows...
07.17.06
Editorial from the the PressTelegram, the local Lakewood area paper:
Don't Mow this 'Lawn': Family Replaces Lakewood Lawn with Fruit, Vegetables.
We tend to think we do all of the teaching when it comes to children. Then they do something poetic, and we realize that we are more often students of their subtle wisdom.
Take Lakewood youngster Cecilia Foti, who wrote an essay at Bancroft Middle School addressing the controversy over her family's decision to convert its front yard into a fruit-and-vegetable farm.
Cecilia, who was profiled in a New York Times story also published in the Press-Telegram, argued that the old-fashioned front lawn "needs to be eradicated from our society and fast!"
We don't entirely agree with that absolutist view, but we are encouraged by her willingness to write down her thoughts and turn them in at school. We also like the idea of healthy greens sprouting in the place of thirsty grass. Getting kids to talk about vegetables, much less eat them, is a weedy issue. Maybe if more kids grew greens they would eat them.
But more importantly we believe it's OK for the Fotis to do what they want with their yard as long as they don't destroy the character of the neighborhood. And, after examining photos of the yet-to-mature garden, we think the suburban farm fits.
Because of the home's ample driveway, the vegetable patch is rather small and less intrusive than one might think. Planted Memorial Day weekend, the plants are still immature. These aren't the cornstalks you saw in "Field of Dreams."
We're not sure if we'd follow their lead, but we admire the family's decision to turn the lawn into a food source that puts water to a logical use, growing food, rather than a decorative use, greening grass.
Lakewood is known for a live-and-let-live ethos, where residents tend to believe, rightly, that they can do what they want with their land as long as the use doesn't hurt the quality of life for their neighbors. Fruits and veggies can certainly do no more harm to a neighborhood's appearance than the mammoth motor homes legally parked citywide.
We admire Cecilia's commitment to healthy eating, something not nearly enough middle schoolers embrace. Cecilia is now a champion of the garden's edibles. We wish more kids would follow her lead.
Stuck in her vegetable patch is this message: "The empty front lawn requiring mowing, watering and weeding previously on this location has been removed."
Some neighbors, of course, are on the other side of the Fotis' decision to raze their lawn as part of a greater nationwide movement to replace lawns with gardens. Detractors don't think it fits in with the post-war tract homes doting the city, and we agree it takes some getting used to.
The New York Times described their discontent far more elegantly than we can: "Neighbors fret about a potential decline in property values, while others worry that all those succulent fruits and vegetables will attract drive-by thieves - as well as opossums and other vermin - in pursuit of Maui onions and Brandywine tomatoes."
We cannot believe this small garden will hurt property values, which tend to be dictated by good schools and safe streets, two things Lakewood has going for it. And Lakewood, known for watchful neighbors, needn't worry much about vegetable theft.
Still, we can understand that residents don't necessarily want to look at something they're not used to seeing. But in a nation of unhealthy people, and in a state prone to drought, the Fotis put their front yard to good use. Maybe some will follow.
Critics should tend to their
own gardens.
06.07.06
When we heard that seventh grader Cecilia Foti had written a school report on Edible Estates....we couldn't wait to read it! She has just passed it on to us:
Front
Yard or Barn Yard?
By Cecilia Foti
Was the Garden of Eden, grass? No. It was a natural wonder of flora and fauna through and through. The American lawn needs to be eradicated from our society and fast! To begin with, lawns endanger our water source and environment. Second, there are some more productive alternatives, such as vegetable gardens, which add variety to our homes. Finally, adding a vegetable or fruit garden provides some surprising health benefits.
Removing the lawns in America will help save our environment and possibly lives. "Of the seventeen of the thirty commonly used pesticides were found in groundwater and twenty-three have the potential to enter," says Fritz Haeg. This is very true for California. Water is wasted from pesticides contaminating the groundwater and from over watering, especially during the hottest times of the day when water evaporates quickly. Pesticides also runoff into the oceans, kills bugs that protect our plants, ands hurts animals. Mowers and lawn edgers pollute our air with greenhouse gasses. Many people are concerned with the environment's care and by removing our lawns and not using pesticides, we can help ensure the environment's safety.
Now that the lawn is gone, what to do with that space? Plant a vegetable garden! There are some better, more productive alternatives to lawns, which add variety and texture to your yard and can be visually appealing as well. Many fruits and vegetables come in a variety of colors and can be arrange in the style you choose. You can choose plants in colors that coordinate with your house. Lettuces and tomatoes come in a wide range of colors and patterns from yellow to red to green to purple! Chiles and peppers also come in many colors too. Fruit trees add texture and shade to your home. The produce you grow can be used for cooking or decoration and can even reduce grocery costs. Everyone can find a plant to fit his or her lifestyle.
There is no doubt about it that fruits and vegetables have amazing health benefits. Fruits and vegetables contain many vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A. These nutrients are necessary to proper bodily functions. For example, spinach provides iron, which is good for the blood. Potatoes and beans contain fiber and tomatoes have lycopene, which is good for the eyes and heart and provide natural antioxidants. Vitamin C, found in oranges, is good for your eyes and skin. Eating vegetables keeps people healthy and can be eaten in many ways to make eating them fun.
Some Americans say lawns are no harm. Some experts even say that pesticide use in California has reduced in previous years. Sulfur use is down by 46,000 pounds. Chemical levels in water are depreciating at a steady rate. Some homeowners might not have time to care for a garden. Many people also take pride in their lawns and care for them. Some homeowners are concerned that property values will drop due to the unusualness of a vegetable garden in their front yard. But even with all these facts, there are still some major problems and health risks.
Although contaminated water percentages are down, there are still some major environmental and health problems with lawns. California has one of the highest uses of pesticides in all 50 states. Even though sulfur use is down, the decrease is only by 1%. Seventeen chemicals, including some very toxic ones, have been traced in the California water source; some of which can harm people. People with lawns and pests could use organic pesticides or homemade remedies. You could use a push mower instead of a gas mower. I ask you, do you want to pollute the earth?
Lawns in America should
be removed. By adding a vegetable garden, you can get some amazing health benefits
and add variety to your home, while not endangering the environment. I don't
know anyone who would not want to improve upon his or her health and save the
environment. So try adding a few vegetables to your yard today. Who knows, you
may end up planting an entire garden.
05.30.06
we planted the garden over three days this past weekend. we had a steady stream of awesome volunteers, some of them friends and some who heard about the project & just wanted to help out and be part of the process. a big thanks to: KATIE BACHLER, PRESTON BROWN, WINSTON KAHN, MITCHELL KANE, MELISSA MCDONNELL, TAIDGH O'NIEL, DANIEL PROCTER, STEPHANIE SCOTT, ROOPA SHENOY & AUBREY WHITE! here's what we planted in that little 20' x 40' space previously occupied by the lawn:
4
Artichokes
4 Shishito Pepper
3 Armenian Cucumbers
3 Red Bell Peppers
8 Jalapeno Peppers
1 Ivory Pepper
1 Cayenne Pepper
1 Gypsy Pepper
1 Purple Beauty Pepper
2 Chervil
2 Fennels
2 Chamomiles
10 Collards
4 Honeydews
7 Chives
8 Yellow Wax Beans
4 Red Onion
4 Green Bunching Onion
3 Bush Beans
1 Sorrel
4 Maui Onion
1 Big Max Pumpkin
3 Millionaire Eggplants
2 Habanera Peppers
4 Black Beauty Eggplants
3 Small Sugar Pumpkins
2 Anaheim Peppers
7 English Thymes
6 Variegated Thymes
7 French Thymes
3 Purple Sages
3 Sages
3 Magic Mountain Basil
2 White Beauty Eggplants
1 Stevia
1 Super Sweet Tomato
1 Champion Tomato
1 Momotaro Tomato
3 Brandywine Tomatoes
1 Chocolate Bell Pepper
1 Lemon Boy Tomato
4 Barbecue Rosemary
1 Greek Oregano
2 Italian Oreganos
3 Tarragons
6 Creping Thymes
1 Lemon Balm
1 Curled Parsley
3 Variegated Oreganos
2 Dwarf Curry
1 Lemon Cucumber
8 Japanese Cucumbers
8 Patty Pan Cucumbers
8 Bush Champion Cucumbers
4 Crimson Sweet Watermelons
2 Raspberries
1 Boysenberry
1 Pluot
1 Grapevine
1 Santa Rosa Plum
1 Fig
2 Asian Pears
1 Katy Apricot
1 Flavor Delight Apricot
1 Snow Queen Nectarine
1 Panamint Nectarine
1 Mexican Pear Guava
1 Golden Apple
1 July Elberta Peach
1 Kumquat
1 Pink Lemonade
1 Golden Nugget Mandarin
1 Washington Navel Orange
1 Chandler Pummelo
2 other Citrus
05.25.06
It's Memorial day weekend, and we will be spending all of it out in the frontyard of the Foti residence. On Saturday we will be removing the lawn and tilling, ammending and grading the soil. On Sunday we will begin laying things out and on Monday we will finish planting, then adding mulch and an irrigation system. If you are interested in coming out to lend a hand, email us at info(at)edibleestates.org.
05.10.06
After 6 months of searching for just the right house and family for the Los Angeles edition of Edible Estates we selected the Foti family residence in Lakewood. This historically significant community was constructed all at once in the 1940's and is the first large suburban housing development in the United States. It is quite literally where the American suburban lawn as we know it was born. The entire Foti family (Michael, Jennifer, Cecilia, 13 and June, 6) is excited about the prospect of ripping out the lawn in favor of an edible landscape. Michael and Jennifer, however, do have some concerns about what their neighbors will think. They want to make sure that the new garden is a gracious and welcoming gesture. Michael is a computer programmer and in the past few years he has established a modest, but serious vegetable garden and chicken coop in the backyard. This closeted backyard urban agriculture will soon have a stage in the front of the house for the rest of the community to enjoy.
04.07.06
Great news...just got word from Dan Danzig at Millard Sheets Gallery that Armstrong Garden Centers will be donating all of the plants and materials for the Los Angeles Edible Estates!
6
Tomatoes / 4" pots / assorted types
16 vegetables / 4 pack / assorted, pepper, eggplant, squash, corn...
32 vegetables / super-starts, 770ml / assorted, pepper, eggplant, squash, corn,
strawberries...
32 Herbs / 3.3 inch pots / assorted, thyme, rosemary, lavender, basil...
30 vegetable and herb seeds / Botanical Interests / assorted
Trees & Vines
5 Citrus Trees / 5 gallon / assorted, grapefruit, orange, lemon...
7 Stone Fruit trees / 5 gallon / assorted, peach plum, apricot...
3 Other Fruit trees / 5 gallon / pomegranate, apple...
3 Fruiting vines / 5 gallons / assorted grapes,
Ammendments
10 Steer Manure / E.B. Stone Organics / 1 cubic foot
10 Chicken Manure / E.B. Stone Organics / 1 cubic foot
9 Flower & Vegetable Planting Mix / E.B. Stone Organics / 20 qts.
10 Coco Shells / Blommer / 2 cubic feet
5 Worm Castings / Worm Gold Plus
2 Tomato & Vegetable Food / E.B. Stone Organics / 12 pound bag
Other
250' Soaker hoses / Waterworks
5 Tomato cages
05.10.06
-----Original
Message-----
From: Jennifer Foti [mailto:xxxxxxxx@hotmail.com]
Sent: Friday, December 09, 2005 7:44 PM
To: info@edibleestates.org
Subject: Interested in the project
Greetings,
I have just read about your
Edible Estates project on the TreeHugger website
and think I might be a good canidate for you to consider. Our home is about
as typical a suburban mid-fifties tract home as you can get. We're located
in the master of all masterplanned communities, Lakewood, CA. Our lawn is
flat, gets plenty of sunlight, and is totally pesticide free. It's also one
of the brownest on the street, as my wife refuses to waste water on it.
Dimensions are about 20' x 38', so there's lots of space.
We're semi-experienced,
but enthusiastic garderners. We have an established
vegetable garden in our backyard already. I've been documenting this project
on the web for a short time now at:
http://home.comcast.net/~fotifamily/
If you're interested, I can send photos of our house/yard.
regards,
Michael & Jennifer Foti