COASTKEEPERS GARDEN
The Coastkeeper Garden
The 2.5 acre Coastkeeper Garden is adjacent to the Santiago Canyon College campus in the City of Orange. This unique, sustainable garden hosts plants from six southern California native habitats as well as drought-tolerant plants. The Garden incorporates six California Friendly ® vignettes (garden rooms) into “backyard” landscapes that harmonize with the native plant habitat throughout the Garden.
In the hot June/July of 2014, Food Security donated their time and resources to help Austin Brown of Coastkeepers to set up an educational demonstration aquaponics system in their greenhouse with the intention to hold classes at the garden. In a couple of weeks, working together with Austin we were able to create a system demonstrating 4 types of growing systems, NFT, flow throw media beds, floating tray, a seed tray and ebb and flow hydroton media bed. As the staff at the Coastkeepers Garden is all volunteer, the group was having some challenges in daily maintenance and care. Austin and staff were able to get several tasty harvests from the Aquaponics system. FSC hopes to be able to return and offer more Aquaponics classes.
Below are slideshows and video of the system being put together by the Quentin and Austin. All vegetation grown by Nani from her collection of heirloom seeds.
The 2.5 acre Coastkeeper Garden is adjacent to the Santiago Canyon College campus in the City of Orange. This unique, sustainable garden hosts plants from six southern California native habitats as well as drought-tolerant plants. The Garden incorporates six California Friendly ® vignettes (garden rooms) into “backyard” landscapes that harmonize with the native plant habitat throughout the Garden.
In the hot June/July of 2014, Food Security donated their time and resources to help Austin Brown of Coastkeepers to set up an educational demonstration aquaponics system in their greenhouse with the intention to hold classes at the garden. In a couple of weeks, working together with Austin we were able to create a system demonstrating 4 types of growing systems, NFT, flow throw media beds, floating tray, a seed tray and ebb and flow hydroton media bed. As the staff at the Coastkeepers Garden is all volunteer, the group was having some challenges in daily maintenance and care. Austin and staff were able to get several tasty harvests from the Aquaponics system. FSC hopes to be able to return and offer more Aquaponics classes.
Below are slideshows and video of the system being put together by the Quentin and Austin. All vegetation grown by Nani from her collection of heirloom seeds.
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AQUAPONICS VS DIRT
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The slides below demonstrate a sage herb plant grown from seed in our Aquaponics system and transplanted into dirt. Normally this would be successful however the watering system failed for just 2 days and the hot summer heat to the life of our little plant. The rest of the dirt vignette was ravaged by squirrels and rabbits although several different deterrents were in place. So its back to the Aquaponics greenhouse for me.