Name: Ali
Location: Athens, Georgia
Type of space: An edible estate!
Tell us about your outdoor project and how you enjoy it: We're on a journey towards living a more sustainable and cost-effective lifestyle in the face of recession and a threatened environment. We took our 1950s working-class, urban/suburban cottage, complete with concrete paths (boo) and bermudagrass (yuck) and overhauled it to fit our needs more sufficiently — and all by the hands of two people and (mostly) found materials. So far we've completely dug up our front and side lawn and have planted edibles and drought-tolerant plants. We trade our harvests with friends and neighbors for delicious meals or simply give them away. Bartering at its best!
How did you create it?
It's taken about 6 months at approx. 20 hours a week, but we've managed to shovel up our entire front and side yards. In place of our horrible grass we planted crops upon crops of tomatoes, corn, potatoes, peppers, okra, onions, garlic, soybeans, kale, herbs — and that's just to name a few. We also used random items to enhance our landscape. For instance, we turned an old, deserted clawfoot tub into a goldfish pond and used old plastic bins to make a rainwater "collection system." With the wood leftover from making our picket-fence we fashioned planter boxes to place throughout the yard. Up next...a greenhouse made of re-claimed windows.
Recommended store, site, product or resource?
Craigslist, Urban Garden Project, Edible Estates .
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Very nice. Great bouquet.
view SRE12's profile
Your front yard is awesome. Terrific job. Can't wait for a huge salad.
view Aunt Deb's profile
so nice to see such a solid effort to transform the standard suburbia landscape of the past into something of personal interest and gain while the environment benefits from the design decision. From less impermeable surfaces and the reduction of exotic invasive grasses such as bermudagrass, to the production of edible plants, concern for water conservation with rain water storage, and a water feature to truly celebrate the serenity and splendor of life giving water. The entire site turns its nose up to the traditional mo and blo American landscape, and takes an innovative lead in demonstrating free thinking in a personal space while sharing with neighbors. So nice to see a little hard work preVail. Encore!
view handspade's profile
Wow, this is just amazing work! I love the white picket fence and the recycling of items like the old tub etc. This is just amazing and totally edible!!!
view vcooper's profile
This is a really excellent project. Bravo!
Kinda funny – the clichéd white-picket fence of suburbia in the middle of a progressive edible landscape. Maybe it says that we can never overcome some aesthetic preferences, even in the pursuit of sustainability?
And is that a fruit tree? If you're in Georgia…let me guess – peaches? ;)
Erin
view erinpeace's profile
Great concept and ingenuity. A lot of dedication and determination. Responsible and inspiring. A garden paradise in the midst of suburbia.
view Jim/Atlanta's profile