Sustainable home gardening is something we are very passionate about. We are seeing more and more of our clients and friends creating incredible gardens in their own yards, along with community gardens in all types of neighborhoods. Sustainability is all about designing something that fits with the native environment and will provide food and other important natural resource. At the same time, water conservation is of the utmost importance here in Southern California where water is such a precious resource.
The HD Group is always happy to support forward-thinking projects that utilize sustainable home construction and gardening techniques. This is why we’re excited to see what they are working on at Harmony House.
What is the Harmony House Food Project?
The Pasadena Native Plant Project is partnering with Victory Starts Now to develop plans and raise funds for a food forest and native garden to benefit the residents of Harmony House in South Los Angeles. These charitable organizations are working together to create a neighborhood garden that will not only provide food, but an excellent rehabilitation space for those who will take care of it. They are calling it the Harmony House Food Forest Project.
Harmony House is home to men who have struggled with mental disorders, many of whom have been diverted from LA County’s increasingly crowded jail system. There are currently about 20 men who live here. It offers a safe halfway home for rehabilitation, as well as a place for homeless individuals to start getting back on their feet.
The Perfect Community Garden
Harmony House is located in a neighborhood that doesn’t have much green space or shade. There is already an empty garden space that is perfect to plant fruit trees, vegetables, herbs and a pollinator garden featuring native plants. The residents have already built some planter boxes, but need help with the soil, supplies and initial planting. This project aims to revitalize the soil condition and create a wonderful food-producing garden that the neighborhood can enjoy.
Sustainability is a key point of concern given the local heat and drought conditions. The Pasadena Native Plant Project and Victory Starts Now are working to create a food forest that will conserve as much water as possible and be sustainable within the local environment. Composting, rain barrels, companion planting, soil-sponging, swale-building, hugelculture and more efficient irrigation systems are some of the ideas they will be using.
How You Can Help
To support this food forest, the Pasadena Native Plant Project is raising funds and calling for volunteers. To learn more about the Harmony House Food Forest Project and ways you can get involved, click here. It’s great to see more neighborhoods and charitable organization implementing sustainable urban farmsteads and community gardens.
