Lawn Elimination and Soil Emancipation

How to turn your average suburban yard into a food bonanza.

Step one: Evaluate said yard. As a designer you may want to work with existing structures, such as paths and laundy poles to minimize digging. This designer chose not to. Perhaps this is because he had a willing helper along to do the dirty work (or maybe it was because it worked better with the overall design).
From the top of the hill.

From the bottom of the hill.

Step two: Dig.

Step three: Build.
Step four: Repeat.

Step five: Repeat Again.

Step six: Hire cheap labor to finish the job.Johnny was paid in chocolate cake (which he helped make).

Step Seven: Plant
Step Eight: Fertilize.
Thanks Stanno.

Step Nine: Try to avoid the mud

Step ten: Ta-dah!
From the top of the hill.

From the bottom of the hill.

For this garden we chose to make curved raised beds. The raised beds terraced the yard which was sloped in two directions. The curved beds were just cool. The new main path will be laid in a curve going down the hill along the side of the beds. This allows more room for a small orchard, which will be planted along with wildflowers in the bare topsoil next to the house. Beds along the fence line were leveled and prepared for subtropical fruit trees and vines.