Jardín Las Moreras: an urban agroecology/agroforesty demonstration garden
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In May 2024, we leased the lot that is now Jardín Las Moreras from the Ingham County Land Bank. The garden takes its name 'moreras' from the Spanish word for 'mulberry trees,' of which there are three mature specimens on the property.
In its previous life, the lot was known as 521 S. Hayford, a residential homesite, which was subsequently demolished. As a consequence of the demolition, much of the lot's soil composition consists of fill dirt, which is great for drainage but is not well-suited for most gardening purposes. In the areas of the lot where fill dirt is prevalent, we've introduced Native Upper Great Lakes region prairie species that thrive in sandy, well-drained soils.
In May 2025, we initiated the process to purchase the land from the Ingham County Land Bank.
The back half of the lot is almost entirely shaded out by a large Silver Maple, the Mulberries, and a few hackberries and box elders. This tree canopy makes it difficult to grow crops under; however, it lends itself to the cultivation of mushrooms. One of the early agroforestry endeavors we undertook was the establishment of a mycology project, where we inoculated logs from the garden with oyster mushroom spores. We also introduced two musclewood trees and woodland Great Lakes plant species to the wooded area.
A detailed site map with information on plant species is forthcoming.
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