Join the Re-wilding Revolution!
Welcome to Goatville!
I am a gardener and I do most things by hand.
I’m the anti-landscaper. I don’t own traditional landscaping equipment. My dream is that neighborhoods are peaceful and quiet on the weekends instead of lawn mowers and blowers pushing weeds, pollen, and dust around.
My goal is to help people shift their perspective about what a “yard” should look like. We are seeing a tipping point in East Rock where many have already converted their front lawns into perennial gardens or are growing food in raised beds.
If you would like help re-imagining your space, I can teach you about native plants and trees and how to utilize “low energy” and “no dig” gardening methods to create a habitat that will be pleasing to humans but also beneficial for our ecosystem.
Join the re-wilding revolution!
Schedule an appointment today!
- Brandon
“The Re-Wilder”
Goatville is a neighborhood in East Rock, New Haven that runs from State Street to Orange Street between Edwards Street and East Rock Park.
Built by Irish immigrants in the 1880s, who often let their goats roam between properties, the name carried a contemptuous tone by outsiders.
Today, Goatville has a transient population (70% rentals) that ebbs and flows with the university calendar. As a result, there is a culture of yard sales on Upper Orange Street and people leaving useful things on the curb strip.
Lime green 2x6s neatly stacked on the corner of Nash and Lawrence inspired the “salvage” moniker and my first guerrilla gardening project in the winter of 2024 - a simple garden box on the corner of Nash and Edwards in a neglected URI green space.
As I was installing it and fixing the curb stone benches (which are heavier than they look!) many people stopped and commented as they walked their dogs. So, I left sharpies for people sign their dogs’ names to encourage a sense of ownership and community. RIP Sushi.