Epic Yard Farm

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United States
Tempe, AZ
Epic Yard Farm

Permaculture inspired residential food forest. Always experimenting & building a balanced ecosystem. Property Size: 7,100 sq.ft. ft.

Epic Yard Farm (傳奇都市果菜園 - 自然農法)

Our goal is to dedicate majority of our water usage into growing edibles. We spent the first two years building front patio, sheet mulching to remove as much of the bermuda grass as possible and started planting some edible perennial plants and trees. Then, we removed all concrete and pool from our backyard to expand our food forest. So far, we manage to plant a pretty good diversity of edibles in our garden, without it looking like a farm. (0.16 acre or 5⁄32 acre)

House Size: 1,300 sq. Current Gardening Area Size: approx. 1,500 sq.ft.

10/29/2026

Our four Grevilleas made it through their first Arizona summer in our Way Out Back Garden! 🥰🌿

They braved the intense desert sun and summer heat, and now, after a few nice rain events and cooler temperatures, they are rewarding us with lots of beautiful new growth!

We currently have four varieties growing:

🌿 Long John (Grevillea ‘Long John’)
🌿 Moonlight (Grevillea ‘Moonlight’)
🌿 Peaches and Cream (Grevillea ‘Peaches and Cream’)
🌿 Sylvia (Grevillea ‘Sylvia’)

I’ve also been doing a little cleanup and maintenance, removing branches and leaves damaged by the summer heat. I gave them some light tip pruning to encourage more side shoots and hopefully help them develop fuller, bushier growth as they mature.

This morning, I am giving them a little nutritional boost with Gondwanaland Protea Fertilizer (12-1-8), which I purchased specifically for our Australian native plants.

One interesting thing about Grevilleas is that many are extremely sensitive to phosphorus. Unlike most plants in our garden, too much phosphorus can actually damage or even kill them! They have evolved to thrive in the nutrient-poor soils of Australia, so regular fertilizers aren’t always suitable.

This fertilizer has a very low phosphorus content and is formulated for plants like Grevilleas, Proteas, and other members of the Proteaceae family.

Growing Australian natives in the Arizona low desert has been another fun experiment for us. So far, I am pretty impressed with how well these four have handled our brutal summer! Now I can’t wait to see them mature and hopefully put on a beautiful show of flowers for our hummingbirds and other pollinators! 🥰

10/24/2026

Another plant haul, this time from the Desert Botanical Garden Fall Plant Sale! 🌿🌸

I’ve been expanding our collection of native and desert-adapted flowering plants at Epic Yard Farm 2.0 to create more habitat and food sources for butterflies, native bees, hummingbirds, and other pollinators. Plus, more colors and textures in the garden! 🥰

Here’s what came home with us:

🌸 Floss Flower (Ageratum houstonianum ‘Monarch Magic’) – Fluffy purple blooms.

💜 Blue Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) – Aromatic, bee-friendly flowers.

🌺 Salvia Fashion Burgundy (Salvia buchananii ‘Fashion Burgundy’) – For the hummingbirds!

🤍 Salvia Mystical White (Salvia farinacea ‘Mystical White’) – Elegant white flower spikes.

🌵 Cape Aloe (Aloe ferox) – Dramatic architectural beauty!

💜 Sandpaper Verbena (Verbena rigida) – Spreading purple blooms.

❤️ Firecracker Penstemon (Penstemon eatonii) – Hummingbird favorite!

🌸 Parry’s Penstemon (Penstemon parryi) – Arizona native with pink blooms.

💜 Arizona Foldwing (Dicliptera resupinata) – Delicate purple flowers.

🧡 Desert Honeysuckle (Anisacanthus thurberi) – Arizona native for hummingbirds!

🌼 Mexican / Chihuahuan Honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera) – Cheerful orange blooms.

🔥 Firebush (Hamelia patens) – Fiery flowers and another desert experiment!

Gardening isn’t just about growing food for ourselves. It’s also about building a thriving ecosystem for the wildlife around us. Not everything will thrive in our challenging Arizona climate, but experimenting and learning is half the fun!

We also recently joined the Desert Botanical Garden membership! We’ve always loved visiting for inspiration, but their Dog Days and Dog Nights gave us another reason to join. Now we can explore the garden with our Z Girls, Zoey and Zyra! 🐾🥰

What pollinator-friendly plants are you adding this fall?

10/24/2026

Trying to make Pad Gra Pao (Thai Holy Basil Stir-Fry) without ever having tasted it at a Thai restaurant is a bit of a gamble. 🤣

But when you have holy basil and hot chili peppers growing in your Gardyn indoor hydroponic system, just begging to be harvested, how could I resist giving it a try?

One of my favorite things about growing our own food is that it gives me an excuse to experiment in the kitchen and explore dishes I might not otherwise think to make. And having fresh herbs and peppers growing right in the house makes it even easier!

So I harvested some holy basil and peppers from our Gardyn, chopped up some garlic and onions, and got cooking! I found a great recipe from Hot Thai Kitchen, but as always, added a little bit of my own twist. Ground bison meat, garlic, hot peppers, bell pepper, onions, lots of holy basil, and a savory sauce. Served over rice with a fried egg on top. 😋

The verdict? Interesting! 😂

The holy basil gave the dish a very strong, fragrant aroma that was almost a little too floral (I’m still not sure how to describe it!) for my taste. I actually found myself wondering if I would have preferred using Italian basil instead.

Now, having never tasted an authentic Pad Gra Pao, I have no idea if this is how it’s supposed to taste or if I just went a little overboard with the holy basil.

But that’s the fun of growing and experimenting with our own food! Not every kitchen adventure turns into a new favorite, but there’s always something to learn along the way. 🥰

And I have to give Jeremy some credit for always being brave enough to join me on these adventures of taste. Not knowing what we’re getting ourselves into is half the fun! ❤️🤣

Anyone here a Pad Gra Pao fan? Is that strong floral fragrance typical of holy basil, or did I use too much? I’d love to hear your tips before I attempt round two!

10/18/2026

A big THANK YOU to our friend Rachel for gifting us these beautiful iris rhizomes! 🥰💚

We have planted them in a few different spots around Epic Yard Farm 2.0 to experiment and see where they will be happiest in our Arizona desert climate.

This is officially the beginning of our iris collection! 🌸 I am so excited to see them grow and hopefully reward us with some beautiful blooms!

One of my favorite things about our gardening community is the generosity of fellow gardeners who share not only plants, but also their friendship, knowledge and love of growing. ❤️

10/16/2026

The heartbreak of growing figs! 😭💔

My beautiful Raspberry Latte fig at 7 AM vs. 3:30 PM today.

This morning, it was still firm and not even close to feeling ripe. I thought I had plenty of time to put a protective bag over it this afternoon.

Well… apparently someone else had already made lunch plans. 😭🤣

Just a few hours later, the entire fig was GONE! Not even a little bite left for me!

I guess the birds and critters know something about fig ripening that I don’t. And apparently, they have a much better harvest schedule than I do!

Another reminder that when it comes to growing fruit in the desert, you snooze, you lose! 🤣

10/16/2026

Birthday plant haul from the Fall Plant Sale at 𝐁𝐨𝐲𝐜𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐦! 🌿🎂🦋

We got there early, but apparently a whole bunch of other plant lovers had the same idea! 🤣 The crowd was already gathering, and there were so many beautiful plants to choose from.

I am slowly expanding our collection of native and pollinator-friendly plants at Epic Yard Farm 2.0. While I love growing edible plants and fruit trees, I also want to create a thriving habitat for butterflies, native bees, hummingbirds, and other beneficial wildlife.

Here’s what came home with us!

🌿 Flat Top Buckwheat
💜 Purple Lilac Vine
🧡 Mountain Flame (2)
🦋 Desert Milkweed
🌼 Mt. Lemmon Marigold
🤍 White Buttonbush
🌸 Pink Fairy Duster (2)

My goal is to add more year-round color, texture, and seasonal blooms while creating a garden that supports the wildlife around us. Every new plant is another little piece of that bigger picture.

I know these aren’t the cheapest plants out there, though I do get 20% off as a member, but knowing that the proceeds help support the arboretum’s educational programs, maintenance, and daily operations makes it even more worthwhile. I absolutely love this place and everything they do to inspire and educate our gardening community.

So really, my plant addiction is supporting a good cause. That’s what I call a win-win! 🥰🌿🤣

Now comes the fun part… figuring out where to plant everything! 😆🌱

Have you added any new plants to your garden this fall?

10/15/2026

Sometimes, the simplest plants bring the biggest smiles. 🌻💛

Back in February 2020, our friend Mike Hill from the Arizona Herb Association generously shared some native sunflower seeds with us from the demonstration garden at the Extension Office. Little did we know these sunflowers would become one of the highlights of our summer garden year after year!

Check out this MASSIVE sunflower plant growing in our Way Out Back Garden at Epic Yard Farm 2.0! 😍

This is ONE single plant! Growing in full Arizona sun, barely getting any supplemental water, and still managing to reach over 7 feet tall and nearly 8 feet wide!

Take a look at that sturdy, almost tree-like trunk and all those branches! It’s amazing how much growth can come from one little seed.

The birds absolutely love the seeds, and the flowers are constantly buzzing with bees and all kinds of pollinators. It’s truly a little ecosystem of its own.

We’ve had summers when these sunflowers reseeded so generously that we ended up with entire sunflower jungles. Mostly because I just couldn’t bring myself to thin them out. 🤣

I love plants that thrive in our challenging low desert climate without needing constant attention. And these sunflowers have certainly earned their place in our garden.

But beyond these beautiful sunflowers, this is also a reminder of something I truly appreciate about our gardening community. We are surrounded by so many generous and knowledgeable people who are always willing to share their seeds, plants, experiences, and love of growing.

Over the years, I’ve learned so much from fellow gardeners who have generously shared their knowledge, encouraged my experiments, and helped me become a better gardener. I’m incredibly thankful for every one of you! ❤️

That’s one of the most beautiful things about gardening. A handful of seeds shared by a friend can grow into years of flowers, countless happy pollinators, and memories that keep on giving. 🌻

Six years later, these sunflowers still put a big smile on my face every time I walk past them. 🥰

Do you have a special plant in your garden that came from a friend or fellow gardener? I’d love to hear its story! 💕

10/14/2026

It’s like a scene straight out of a horror movie… 😱🩸 Fitting for Halloween, I guess! 🎃

Every year, our pomegranate tree turns into a crime scene, with the victims left hanging on the branches. 😂

This pomegranate tree came with the house when we moved into Epic Yard Farm 2.0, and I’m pretty sure it’s the Wonderful variety.

Every year, without fail, the birds and rodents find their way to the tree and eat through the pomegranates, one by one, until there’s practically nothing left but hollowed-out shells hanging from the branches. It’s quite a gruesome sight!

We’ve set out traps. We’ve tried rodent birth control baits. Yet, these little garden bandits persist! 😩

Since then, I’ve planted three other pomegranate varieties: Parfianka, Angel Red, and Pink Silk. All three have much better flavor than Wonderful, at least to my taste buds! I’m especially looking forward to having more varieties to harvest and compare.

But seeing this annual pomegranate massacre reminds me that I really need to step up my fruit protection game before these younger trees mature and start producing!

10/11/2026

Ah… good long soak.

10/10/2026

Another compulsive gardening experiment to see just how far we can push the limits of growing in the Arizona low desert! 😆🌸

I recently came across some information suggesting that Itoh Peonies (intersectional peonies) might be possible to grow here in the low desert. Naturally, that was all the encouragement I needed to order a collection of three bare roots from and give them a try! 😂

Peonies are known for needing winter chill to grow and bloom successfully, which makes our warm desert climate quite a challenge. Itoh Peonies are a hybrid between herbaceous and tree peonies, and some gardeners have reported success growing them in warmer climates.

Of course, growing them in Phoenix is a whole different story! Between our mild winters and brutally hot summers, I have no idea how well they will do. But that’s part of the fun of experimenting at Epic Yard Farm!

I’m going to plant these out this fall, find them a spot with some protection from our intense afternoon sun, and see what happens. Even if they survive but never bloom, we’ll learn something along the way.

Sometimes gardening is about growing what we know will thrive. Other times, it’s about being curious enough to try something that probably shouldn’t grow here. 🥰

Have any of my fellow low-desert gardeners tried growing peonies? I’d love to hear about your experience!

Address

Tempe, AZ
85281, 85282, 85283, 85284, 85285, 85287

Website

http://epicyardfarm.com/linktree

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