Houzz TV: Visit a Tiny California Garden With Lots to Taste
See how this family harvests fresh food all year from raised beds and vertical plantings in a small Palo Alto lot
Brenna Malmberg
January 3, 2017
In this episode of Houzz TV, a California couple and their children make the most of their lot by filling every outdoor inch with plants and garden containers. A tour of the property reveals a front yard, side yard and backyard teeming with life, most of which is edible.
Watch now: Compact California Garden With Lots to Taste
Garden at a Glance
Who lives here: Elaine Uang, Mike Greenfield and their two daughters, ages 3 and 5
Location: Palo Alto, California
Lot size: 3,000 square feet (279 square meters)
House size: 1,500 square feet (139 square meters)
Garden designer: BaDesign
Elaine Uang and Mike Greenfield knew they wanted an edible garden, and they maximized their space to pack in as many food-producing plants as they could.
“Even the smallest space can yield an amazing garden,” Uang says.
Garden at a Glance
Who lives here: Elaine Uang, Mike Greenfield and their two daughters, ages 3 and 5
Location: Palo Alto, California
Lot size: 3,000 square feet (279 square meters)
House size: 1,500 square feet (139 square meters)
Garden designer: BaDesign
Elaine Uang and Mike Greenfield knew they wanted an edible garden, and they maximized their space to pack in as many food-producing plants as they could.
“Even the smallest space can yield an amazing garden,” Uang says.
The family lives in a historic house built in 1891. It first served as the post office in Palo Alto. It later became a rental unit and eventually the family’s home.
In planning the garden, the family kept it simple by using only a handful of materials, such as decomposed granite, Cor-Ten steel and river rock.
“This really unifies the design and ties everything together,” Uang says.
In planning the garden, the family kept it simple by using only a handful of materials, such as decomposed granite, Cor-Ten steel and river rock.
“This really unifies the design and ties everything together,” Uang says.
They used raised beds — two in the front and one long one in the back — to grow vegetables. They cycle plants in and out of the beds depending on the seasons.
They looked at different raised beds and decided on Cor-Ten steel because the material is thinner than others, giving them a few more inches to grow plants. Uang says the beds are about 2 feet tall and about 2½ feet wide, and were designed and fabricated by BaDesign.
They looked at different raised beds and decided on Cor-Ten steel because the material is thinner than others, giving them a few more inches to grow plants. Uang says the beds are about 2 feet tall and about 2½ feet wide, and were designed and fabricated by BaDesign.
They also use the side yard, off the kitchen.
“It’s basically our salad bowl and our herb garden,” Uang says. “It’s an extension of our kitchen.”
This allows them to grab a quick meal by plucking a handful of salad leaves and herbs. They also included vertical planting, such as vines, to gain growing space.
“It’s basically our salad bowl and our herb garden,” Uang says. “It’s an extension of our kitchen.”
This allows them to grab a quick meal by plucking a handful of salad leaves and herbs. They also included vertical planting, such as vines, to gain growing space.
In the backyard, they have 38 types of fruit, from blueberries to peaches. They also have a grapevine that runs along the side of the lot.
For ground cover, they used ornamental herbs instead of thirsty grass.
For ground cover, they used ornamental herbs instead of thirsty grass.
Everything grown outside eventually makes its way to the dinner table. The family members value being able to grow their own food, and their edible landscape makes this possible.
The girls have learned from an early age what it is like to grow their own food, Uang says. They can pick blueberries for breakfast or grab a cucumber for an afternoon snack.
Watch now: Compact California Garden With Lots to Taste
Watch more episodes of Houzz TV
The girls have learned from an early age what it is like to grow their own food, Uang says. They can pick blueberries for breakfast or grab a cucumber for an afternoon snack.
Watch now: Compact California Garden With Lots to Taste
Watch more episodes of Houzz TV
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Inspiring garden! What did you/they use for the plants to grow onto in the planter boxes and up the fences? I see interesting metalwork, but do not see it referenced anywhere and I was not referenced in the video. Thank you!
WOW! I love gardening as well. and the kids has a healthy lifestyle at early age, instead of eating junk foods for snack they intended to eat veggies, so proud of the kids.