With our California draught seemingly continuing on into fall, our minds are not so much filled with ideas and plans of new things to plant, but more how can I help my existing garden survive or what should we simply be letting go.

However, I would like to share a garden I experienced this summer while visiting family in Michigan. Our son, daughter-in-law and family live in a beautiful neighborhood in Saginaw. The houses all reek east-coast charm and character, so missing in so many of our California neighborhoods. I want to tour every home in the surrounding blocks and love fanaticizing about just what kind of early American furniture I would embellish my old "new" home with.

But what really makes this neighborhood special is the people that live there and their interaction with each other. We were so lucky to have been able to attend a potluck at one of these homes attended by not only the whole neighborhood, but also, the Saginaw Police and Fire Departments, who, in promoting neighborhood good-will participated in a tug-of-war between the two life-saving agencies. Believe it or not, even this struggle between dozens of handsome young, virile men in uniform was not the high point of the day for me, but the garden in which we pot lucked.

On 5/8 of an acre, Dan and Linda Swaffer have developed an edible landscape garden of gigantic proportions. Back yard, front yard, side yard, all focused on growing organic food, and still having room to entertain the entire neighborhood (not to mention, feed the entire neighborhood). I found it to be the best example of what two people (not paid staff) can do for real with a lot of work and commitment. Yes, I know water is not a problem in Michigan, but we can dream, can't we.
Instead of typing a lot of overused words to describe their abundant garden. I invite you to just view the following snapshots.

photos by Cheryl Potts