We recently were involved in the installation of an Edible Garden at the Goleta Water District Headquarters:
The Edible Landscape is the newest section of the District Demonstration Garden. It features a variety of innovative attributes including water-wise edible plants and trees, sustainable drainage and rain catchment systems, a Hugelkultur (pronounced “hoogal-culture”) bed, and other permaculture principles. The goal of the garden is to model water-efficient edible landscaping ideas that can be implemented by customers at home.
The low maintenance plants and trees featured in the edible garden are easy to grow and well-suited for the local climate. Rainwater from the roof is fed through gutters into the rain barrel tank and then used to irrigate the garden. Rainwater from the roof is also fed into a dry pond, known as an infiltration basin, on the other side of the garden. The garden also features various mulching and water retention techniques as well as permeable surfaces to further prevent storm water runoff and minimize the need for potable water for irrigation.
There are many benefits to planting a sustainable and water-wise edible garden to grow food at home, including:
- Improved water conservation (water-wise landscaping) and reduced water bills
- Reduced carbon emissions that are created by the transportation of food
- Reduced food bills
- Enhanced health with local high quality food options