An Introduction

Hello and welcome! My name is Blair, and this is the first post in my blog. Before I begin to share how I am turning my yard into a garden, I want to share some information about myself.

My parents' property from under the apricot tree.

I grew up on an acre and a half in Roseville, California. My parents' property was once part of an almond orchard near the center of town, situated along Linda Creek. While only a few of the almond trees remained by the time I was born, my parents planted a variety of fruit trees where they had once stood.

When I was young, those apples, apricots, plums, peaches, persimmons, and pears were all available for me to snack on as I played. Between the trees rows of other plants grew. Squash, beans, watermelons, carrots, corn, zucchini, tomatoes, and all a manner of other plants carpeted the ground. My memories of summer here in the Sacramento Valley are of swimming, friends, and eating fresh fruit and vegetables from the yard.

My first sheet mulched section of lawn, already green!

Since then, I have grown older. I am married to the wonderful and beautiful wife of my dreams. I have a three month old son whom I love more than anything, ever. I have my own home, with my own yard. And my dream is to turn that yard into a garden. I want my garden-yard to be filled with fruit and vegetables. I want to have as little unused space as possible. I want to take the local food movement and make it the home food movement here, in my backyard. I want to make grass an artifact of another era.

Achieving this dream is, in part, why I created this blog. I hope to share my successes, failures, and any entertaining events I encounter along the way. I will share both my progress here, at my house, as well as at my parents' much larger plot. Really, though, I want this blog to be an ode to nature, to gardening, to the cycle of life, and to those of us who prefer to spend time out in the elements knee deep in mud and elbow deep in compost. Welcome everyone!