Never Enough Dirt (2015-2023) is a blog cataloging the passion that is “gardening.” This passion is rooted in the appreciation and wonderment of nature in all her forms– from her physical beauty to how her many systems interact and coexist. Gardening is a first hand way to experience and share her from the comfort of our doorsteps.  With that, I welcome you to my gardens.

(2024+) Never Enough Dirt will strive to act as a garden host/coach/mentor/docent/teacher to gardeners of all kinds.

(About me) in short:
Nature enthusiast/naturalist, photographer, tinkerer, “Stay at home, Dad” (since 2014,) and former information technology (desktop support) manager with a formal background in economics.
I strive for excellence; which contains elements of understanding purpose, pragmatism, efficiency, and continued growth. All the while, I recognize that sometimes it is important to throw that all out of the window in the name of fun.

Gardening Methodology:
My gardening is a highly Earth Systems Science centric approach. In other words, this approach recognizes the practices of many disciplines and matches them with a deeper understanding of how life exists in its different environments. When you visit our gardens, you will notice elements of regenerative farming, traditional gardening, and practices seen in permaculture integrated into our gardens. I combine these practices with a deeper understanding of how a particular plant prefers to grow in its natural environment in order to cultivate it with the least amount of resources possible. For instance, I discovered that it is possible to grow Peruvian heirloom corn in the Los Angeles area; and growing them from fall through winter is the ideal time. This methodology not only enhances the efficiency of growing on a small scale, it makes possible the growing of plants that would otherwise be impossible to grow either because of restrictions of lot size, climate, or time of year.

My gardening background:
One can say that gardening is in my blood. Both of my parents garden. Each had their preference. My late father was a practical man and so he always preferred to grow plants that produced fruits, herbs, and vegetables. My mother, on the other hand, enjoys the beauty found in the flowers that she grows. You have probably guessed it by now, I love to grow them all. If only there is enough dirt to work.

When my gardening took off:
In 2009, I moved to a place that allowed my gardening interest to flourish into a passion. With a yard (albeit small), I was able to grow some vegetables and flowers.  Before then, I did not really have dirt of my own to grow more than a couple of plants. The yard I had access to was already crowded and claimed by my parents. The little patch that I was able to wrestle away, I used to grow okra.

When I moved again in 2012, the new place came with an even larger yard! With more dirt to work, my gardening really took off. It was not long before I discovered that there is never enough dirt to grow all the things that I want to grow. In this process it was quickly discovered that as we become seasoned gardeners, we will probably share in common this sentiment whether our garden is located in a room, a balcony, patio, on an urban backyard, a community garden, homestead, or farm.

Location:
USDA Zone 10b / San Gabriel Valley / Southern California / USA

Contact:
brian at neverenoughdirt dot com