boring backyard with shed and and spotty yellow-green grass
Lush garden with a  path leading to small white shed, surrounded by diverse flower beds and greenery.

Twig daddy Sells Long-lasting Edible plants

I didn’t think my Dreams were possible

For years, I worked a fast-paced, high-pressure job. Ironically, my work was all about advocating for healthy and sustainable food. But I didn’t think there was room in my life for my dreams of planting fruit trees, of homesteading, or growing more of my own food. I felt intimidated and discouraged by the idea of changing my life so radically. So, I put these daydreams on hold to focus on work.

Speaker on stage holding red cafeteria tray under IMAGINE SOLUTIONS sign.

I took a leap — and I’m grateful I did

During quarantine, some friends and I decided to dig up the big evergreen bushes in front of our house, and try something different. We were daunted a first. But with a bit of help from a knowledgeable friend, we planted a peach tree. Then some red currant bushes. A Kiwiberry vine, a few Irises and Black-Eyed Susans. Pretty soon we had a thriving edible garden! I was shocked at how much we were able to accomplish together.

Two people doing yard work near a house; one digging with garden tools on bare soil and another sitting holding a baby, with a red bucket nearby.
Lush front yard garden with a turquoise birdbath, flowers, fruit trees and shrubs, and a white house with blue and yellow trim.

Transformation is Possible

I realized that I didn’t have to choose between my work and my dreams. I found that we could grow a lot of amazing stuff in a very small space. Plus, the garden was super low maintenance after we got it started. And year by year we got to enjoy more and more of the bounty. Pretty soon, neighbors and friends began to come by and praise our magical little garden — and ask for advice…

Person holding a child in front of tall sunflowers next to a yellow house with brown shutters.

anyone can be a Twig Daddy

When we first put our plants in the ground, they looked like little twigs! I thought: “How is this little wimpy thing ever going to amount to a peach tree?” But with a bit of patience, care, and elbow grease, it grew! I was a very proud plant dad.

I now firmly believe: if my friends and I could do it, anyone can become a Twig Daddy, with the right plants.

From what I’ve learned over the years, here’s a few principles to guide your Twig Daddy journey:

  • If you waited to be 100% confident before trying something new, you’d never do anything worth doing! Our plants are easier to keep alive than houseplants, and once they’ve spent their first year in the ground, they’re tough as nails. The hardest part is taking that first leap.

  • Abundance could mean your kids picking fresh berries till their fingers are purple. Or napping under the shade of your favorite tree. Or having homemade pies, jams, and rare fruits to share with friends. Whatever abundance looks like to you, you can make happen.

  • Want to grow immune-boosting elixirs at home? Or tropical fruit in the snow? How about berries so supposedly threatening that the government once banned them? Or nut trees that ruled the Eastern forests before nearly going extinct? There’s a whole world of plants waiting to blow your mind.

  • Transformation doesn’t have to mean planting an entire orchard—though we’ve helped people do that! It could be as simple as two elderberry bushes and a peach tree in your yard. Start small, grow big, or anything in between. Every little bit of green changes the game.

  • A thriving garden is like a good playlist—diverse and reliable. If one fruit has a rough year (maybe it’s a tough winter or a dry summer), you’ll still have five others producing in abundance. Diversity isn’t just beautiful; it’s the key to long-term success.

  • Spoiler alert: No one is born knowing how to grow plants. Every Twig Daddy has failed (and failed spectacularly!) before finding their stride. What really matters is curiosity, courage, patience, and persistence. That’s the magic combo.

  • Every edible plant you grow is the result of centuries—sometimes millennia—of human ingenuity. These plants survived because brave, brilliant people carried their seeds through wars, exile, and hardship. When you grow these plants, you honor their courage and preserve their stories.

So are you ready to take the leap, get your hands dirty, and grow a little magic in your life?

If so, then you, my friend, are a Twig Daddy.

Let’s get growing.

Rediscover Real Food

Most of us have never tasted a Paw Paw or home-grown Persimmon. Why? Because all the food industry gives us is wax-covered, shipped-for-days, nutrient-deficient fruit that won’t bruise. Trust me – you’re not getting the good stuff. There’s so much more to explore!

Industrial plant with cooling towers and smokestacks emitting smoke against a cloudy sky, in front of barren fields.

The Legacy of Our Plants

Each plant we grow has an ancient story: generations of humans who chose the most delicious, resilient, and nourishing fruits to replant year after year. In return, these plants gave food, medicine, shelter, and beauty.

Sadly, much of this plant wisdom has been lost to war, conquest, migration, and natural disaster. And it continues to disappear every year that passes. By cultivating these plants today, we can help recover and sustain that legacy.

Panoramic view of Ronda, Spain, with buildings atop a cliff and a bridge spanning a gorge.

Make it Happen

Let’s get started.

With the threat of natural disasters and a changing climate, it’s more essential now than ever to pack our landscapes with long-lasting, edible plants. Together we can improve the environment and ensure long-term food security for our communities.

Aerial view of community garden plots with greenhouses and sheds.
  • “For a couple of years I’ve been looking for bushes for my side yard. When I heard that Elderberry was an option, I was thrilled: a way to both make my own Elderberry syrup and have a beautiful, relatively low maintenance plant in the space!”

    - Roz M.

  • “It’s true — the plants looked like twigs when we first got them. A few years later now, they’ve totally filled out. They’re blooming and growing and they honestly bring me a lot of joy!”

    - Jesse P.

  • “I started with a few raspberry bushes, then added a few apple trees and kiwiberry vines… I’m now obsessed and spend the winters dreaming of what else I can fit into my garden!”