The Howlands Garden Renovation

Catalina may be paradise, but gardening here has its challenges. The arid climate and the presence of "pests" like the Catalina ground squirrels and rats means that we have to devise some creative solutions as a community. Similar to how an ecosystem must adapt to keep up with environmental pressures, we are constantly experimenting and changing the way we do and design things. 

Here a few highlights of some ongoing projects, which were done in great part thanks to the help of two student groups from Fort Collins, Colorado: Kinard CARES and Lesher IMPACTS.  

This geodesic dome will be converted into a beautiful nursery to protect plants from getting eaten by island critters

We just planted an array of native plant seeds in this newly constructed bed around our fruit trees

The terrace project will soon contain vegetable beds, all made with our local Howlands compost

The latest rainwater catchment system--gravity fed, baby.

The 2015 tour aims to focus on the following topics:

• School garden design
• Garden irrigation methods
• Low water gardening (xeriscaping) and water catchment
• Pest management

We're stoked to visit local LA schools to get some inspiration!