Dana Hopper

Hi, I'm Dana and I'm the owner, designer. & educator of So Cal Urban Gardens. My company designs, installs, and maintains both edible gardens and CA Native plant landscapes.

As a journalist (my previous career), I covered CA food and agriculture issues for years. I've been privileged to learn from regenerative farmers and gardeners, both urban and rural, about the best techniques to create healthy soil and grow flavorful and nutrient-dense food in our region. 

While fruit and vegetables gardens are my first love, it's hard not to be taken in by California's incredible native flora and fauna. I love to imagine our landscapes before development and to help folks recreate these ecosystems that are not simply beautiful but help save our water,  mitigate climate change, and restore  Native habitats.

In 2017, I founded Homegrown Veggie, a company dedicated to creating food gardens and teaching clients how to grow their own fruits and vegetables.  Homegrown Veggie created gardens all across So Cal’s varying climates from the low-lying LA Basin to the high altitudes of our local mountains. 

Our fruit and vegetable gardens are even more productive when incorporated into native landscapes. Native plants attract pollinators, create habitat, and build resilient and diverse ecosystems.  So with the addition of low-maintenance, drought-tolerant CA native landscapes to the business,  So Cal Urban Gardens was born. 

I'm a Certified CA Native Landscaper, am active in Foodscapers International and Gardenary, and have been teaching edible gardening to groups and clients for the past 6 years.  I also grow crops for local chefs at our urban farm sites. 

Reviews:

Working with Dana was so helpful! She was so knowledgable and patient as she went through the session along with key takeaways. I left feeling more confident to try new garden skills and inspired to learn more. She also was happy to answer all of my questions—especially being that I am a beginner. Thank you Dana for your authentic skilled approach to teaching and gardening! ------Janiel H.

Dana  helped this wanna be green thumb set up a raised bed in difficult terrain and a tricky climate. Can’t wait to pull veggies from my garden for dinner! -----Patti J.