Our featured garden for May belongs to a lovely family of four: Shripad, Priya and their two children Ria and Rohan. They grow a mix of fruit trees, vegetables, and flowers. Their love of tropical trees is very apparent. Moringa, tamarind, amla berry, and Barbados cherries grow in the front yard, in carefully planned microclimates. They do not have a large space for planting in the backyard, but that does not hold them back. Before they were bitten by the garden bug, they installed a pool which took up much of the room in the backyard. They make great use of the planting borders along the block walls and a small side yard.
The backyard is home to a grapevine, a giant fig tree, and an impressive mulberry tree. There are guava trees, citrus, several mangoes, June plum, lychee, boysenberries, and an extremely impressive Saturn blackberry. Pomegranates, peaches, and loquats have also found a spot. Several varieties of chilies, eggplants, tomatoes, fennel, and other veggies are also mixed in.
There are also a number of stunning rose bushes, and colorful flowers lining the pathway and brighten up the borders. They started this garden three years ago and it gets even better with each year. It is really refreshing to observe how enthusiastic their five-year-old son Rohan is about this garden and he had much to add as they showed me around and answered my questions. He handed me calendula seeds, and pointed out the painted daisies he helped plant. He wanted to show me peas that he had also planted, and could not contain his excitement about the blackberries. I get the sense that the gardening gene is strong in this little one!
How did your garden adventure begin?
(Priya) I wanted a garden and we decided to get some small trees. We decided to get guavas, figs, pomegranates, mulberry, and custard apple. (Shripad) They invoked memories of growing up and eating these fruit. (Priya) Shripad went to pick up the trees and found alphonso mango and he was hooked from that moment. This was the turning point! Our adventure is driven by memories.
What changes have you made that have been really impactful?
Adding mulch made a big difference and learning to feed and build the soil. Also watering correctly and getting away from just the drip system. We still use the drip system, but we also deep soak weekly to make sure plants are getting watered correctly.
What do you enjoy growing?
Fruit trees, types that we grew up with. Guavas, mangoes, figs, mulberries. (Rohan) Blackberries! Also peaches. (Priya) I love roses too. (Ria) Kumquats.
What do you want other gardeners to know about your garden?
A productive garden is possible regardless of space. We treat it as a learning experience and are very patient. We do not expect instant gratification. We got to know the soil and microclimate in our yard, so we know how to work with the soil and use the microclimate. By doing this we encourage tree growth getting them off to a good start. We are always paying attention.
What are your biggest gardening challenges?
Getting the watering right. The tree requirements vary. We had to observe, and learn how to group trees with similar needs together. We also had to learn which varieties will do best in our yard and we did have some failures. Sugar apple, Persimmon, and Jamaican Cherry have not done well for us.
What are your biggest successes?
Mulberries. The first year we got one berry and the four of us shared it. Last year we got a lot more. This year there is so much we cannot keep up and have shared with so many friends. Figs, guavas, blackberries, and pomegranates. Our grapes are doing very well and our roses have given us a lot of beautiful blooms.
Any tips to share with others?
Buy smaller plants. They get better acclimated than larger trees. Plant closer together, they protect each other. Also, we found that having more than one of something helped them do better. For example, we have two pomegranate trees and they seem to do better, they like company. Assume you are overwatering, which can be a big problem for trees. If the mulch is dry on top and you think the plants are dry, check. The top may be dry but the ground under the mulch is still moist. Know what to plant in which areas of your yard. Join local gardening groups, speak to other gardeners and get support to learn how to grow things here.
Planting a Monsoon Garden in the Desert