Victory Gardens are becoming trendy again because so many of us have less to spend on groceries. We are rediscovering that areas occupied by more or less useless landscapes and lawns can be used to produce fruits and vegetables.

My garden is very unique but very sustainable. It is mostly concrete with some asphalt, a small lawn, Algerian ivy and junipers. It really takes care of itself. It is unique because no other horticulturist has composed a garden quite like it!

The most obvious difficulty is that only trees which are small or mid-sized when mature are proportionate to large homes on small lots. Limbs and roots of larger trees would become overwhelming, likely damaging roofs or surface pavement, because there is no ‘safe distance’ available at which to plant such trees.

Rock gardens were actually developed in Europe to provide homes for unusual species, known as “Alpines”. North American rock gardens are more likely to include a wider range of plant species. It is important to remember that rock gardens are not simply constructed to landscape overly exposed areas.