Warren and Lovejoy of Milagro Allegro Community Garden

Warren and Lovejoy Ontiveros, native Angelenos who met as students at the LA County High School for the Arts, cherished their childhood memories of gardening and wanted to share that experience with their own children. They joined Eagle Rockdale Community Garden & Art Park in 2006 with their son Nathanael and daughter Lilana.

In 2009, the family moved to Milagro Allegro Community Garden, a few blocks from the house they bought in Highland Park. Over time, they set up a garden in their back yard and planted a wide variety of vegetables and fruit trees. They later added a beehive, then a chicken coop with five hens. They began to sell surplus key limes, corn and chard to the chefs at Forage and Auntie Em’s Kitchen. They grew mint, basil and other herbs at the request of Diep Tran, owner of Good Girl Dinette. Daughter Vera arrived in 2012. With a fourth child on the way next spring, the family garden has slowed down.

“It ebbs and flows with us – but we plan to keep gardening,” said Lovejoy. “It’s been a great way for us to bond and eat well. Gardening also connects us to the neighborhood and the community at large.”

Warren offers a simple gardening philosophy, “Take it easy. Enjoy yourself. Don’t be afraid to try something new and don’t listen to people who say there’s only one way to do something. Just grow what works for you.”

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