Maintaining the dream

Having replaced the retaining walls, built the beds, and done the planting themselves motivates the Jacksons to keep it all looking good. “And if we hadn’t done it ourselves, we wouldn’t know how to take care of it,” says Nick.

Once a week, Nick hand-waters everything, using what’s stored in their four rain barrels (and sometimes Lucas’s bathwater).

They’ve learned through trial and error what they’ll plant again—and what issues they still face. “The kangaroo paws didn’t last, the wallflowers really thrived, and the gophers have been a problem,” says Lisa.