After growing a food forest inspired vegetable garden one year, I end up transforming my front yard into something else. Support the channel: https://www.patreon.com/suburbanhomestead or buy my art https://www.etsy.com/shop/SiloeOliveira
Created by: Siloe Oliveira
31 Comments
I love your 2020 videos. Those are what i spired me to garden!
It got me out of depression. I had fallen so far into a dark hole i didn't know how to climb out. Gardening is very therapeutic and you inspired a renewed energy in me. O don't have a food forest or cottage garden, but now i have an acre of food and flowers and every year it gets better and more productive.
Your garden is and has always been an enourmous inspiration for me and my own little patch of land where I do my best to incorporate some of your grand tips (ie. fun little pots for preventing the hose from ruining the flower beds). Thanks sooo very much for everything!
I’ve always enjoyed your videos. Interesting, different and your garden is beautiful.
Eau de Garden 🤭👏🏼 Love your style!!!
Nature does eventually insist upon balance. Balancing beauty with practicality is a sweet start.
I have always loved the idea of the food Forest but cannot stand the messy chaotic look of it. I've been trying to find a way to do a food Forest but in a more organized way which sounds like an oxymoron.
Siloe, I send you warmest greetings from Vancouver Island – you are a true mensch – a man of soul – and being able to share your journey, albeit from so far away, has brought me great joy and inspiration – and not a little knowledge! – along the way. Thank you for all you do, and thank you for your great generosity in sharing your life with so many strangers! Be safe – be well – be nourished – be inspired. Know that you are making a positive difference and that you are in fact – loved. Your admirer, Beth
Missed you. You won me over w the flowers among the tomatoes. It was just so gorgeous. Just such an artists touch. I love a garden that feels a little wild and not structured, and definitely not in rows. Thank you!! It’s always a treat to see one of your videos!
Grateful for your humor and artistry! Sleight of hand food forest perhaps in the future? Open-pruned fruit trees are stunning companions to almost all ornaments, horseradish for large foliage contrast, asparagus for soft texture, wild strawberries a willing and able ground cover, and, and, etc… Friends and I on the job in high design public horticulture speckled 26-acres of Manhattan with food for 10yrs and no one noticed. 🌸
I had not watched your videos in a while. The filmaker style grabbed me. As a little child my dance class toddled thru to Peer Gynt Suite. Was that what you played. Can you add the Hall of the Mountain King? Surely there is that menace and drama somewhere in your footage ; )
I truly look forward to the next videos!
I didn't think your past videos were so bad, just so you know. 🙂
The cottage garden video is why I subscribed to your channel. Since then, I built on 20 acres, planted an orchard, started a wide variety of berry bushes, and have 10 raised beds. My motivation is similar yet different. I've planned on a homestead for over 25 years. I just spent 4 back breaking vacation days clearing out weeds to gain some sort of aesthetic appeal. The garden is in its 2nd year now and part of the learning journey is finding solutions to problems such as pests and fungal infections all while upholding my philosophy of being 100% organic. This results in healthy food, more work, and a lot more expense. I guess I have a love/hate relationship with the garden but I'm certain, as I gain knowledge, it will become easier. Even though it's much harder than expected I'm not stopping because I love a challenge.
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Love the glimpse behind the scenes and look forward to your comming videos. I'd love to learn more about what amount of work you put in throughout the year to maintain the different parts of your garden!
I, like you, have been gardening before the pandemic made it more popular. So sharing videos like yours and giving free advice has almost become a full-time job. I LOVE it. Love your garden process (all gardens are a process), your artistic sense, and humor. Keep it up❣️
I live in North East Louisiana and I can honestly say your videos are my inspiration. I feel like I've got someone who struggles along with me (including flea beetles) and finds that art is usually the best solution. Thank you
I love your videos. There is a calming, down to earth and teaching process you bring to your videos that separate you from the crowd. Your videos are not just edited, but they are curated, and they transcend the normal list that pops up. It's always a delight to see a notification from your channel.
I SO agree about the tricky balance between the "idealism" of a "pure" food forest versus the aesthetics of some degree of order and control. Not the uptight kind of control, but can I walk in the space to even get to my plants, kind of control.
Sometimes you have to listen for what the land wants, not what the daydream is. You connected with people because you were your authentic (artistic) self. You're garden is astonishingly beautiful. The modern concept of a food forest – not so much (for me it's the endless wood mulch mucking about with the aesthetics).
There's a tradition on the old farms of the Ottawa Valley of planting 'ditch lilies' (orange tiger lilies) at property entrances. Physically, the lilies are holding onto the bank or slope. Visually, they're demarcating your entrance path. In this 'modern' day they show the space the century-old wooden houses used to be. The family may have moved on from farming, but the flowers Granny planted are still here – there's something reassuring in that.
And, for the record, you old videos are gold. I learned so much, thoroughly enjoyed them and the weekly upload schedule helped you to work out a more sustainable model of filming and editing. Well done, Sir. Well done.
– Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown/Pimisi
Excellent storytelling. Beautiful videography.
Flowers are a must in all gardens. For their beauty, the need for pollinators, and the pull to BE in the garden! A food forest belongs on acres. I have a few fruiting trees, perennial veggies & fruits, but not more than I can consume.
Might be time for drone footage videos? I'd love to see dramatic sweeping videos of your landscape.
GLOrious!!
Nice sharing❤❤❤
I love the artistry and humor you put into each of your videos.
Aw, you're too hard on yourself, very funny; but too hard on yourself. I've always appreciated your content!❤
Sir! This was brutally self-aware, and you have a fantastic sense of humor about it. I appreciate your honesty. Your channel is one of the very best because you created your own niche and it’s unlike any other. Please don’t change a thing.
Siloe, you have charisma, knowledge, skill and toughness. I admit to liking those videos that combine gardens with your artistic knowledge, but this old man will watch whatever you publish. I do not need instructional videos, but there are always fresh ideas in what you show and say. I love to build around volunteers. Apparently they grow where they want to be, and I find tatume squash or canteloupe vines and self-seeded basils can look fabulous with ornamental grasses, zinnias and cosmos.
Your videos were/are what made me finally get off my bum and start working on my yards this season.
I won't be able to plant any food this season, but I am able to plant some flowers for the hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees.
This morning I saw one of the flowers finally peek above ground and the joy it brought me is immense.
Please know that your videos do make a difference.❤ I'm so glad that I found you.
Beautiful work! I love your videos and your gardening journey.