The Goin Native Gardens...Flourishing Since 1887!

The owners of Goin Native John and Marianne Taylor have lived at this location since 1990 along with their two children Harrison and Claire. The Taylor Family is the third owner in 124 years of this Nationally registered historical home. The "vernacular" or ordinary home was built in 1887 by two  brothers Peter and Salvador Labat, who moved to the Capistrano Valley in 1883 from the basque region of France. During the 80 year reign of the LaBat family, the property flourished with apricots,citrus ,peaches, pomegranates,and walnuts trees along with vegetable gardens, chickens and sheep. In the 1970's the property was sold to an individual  as a residence for a disabled family member with caretaker quarters and used an outside lattice patio structure as an antique shop. The gardens were no longer maintained, the fruit trees became diseased with blight  and the half acre was left to dirt and weeds when property went up for sale in 1990.

Through the blighted landscape Marianne and John saw beauty and endless possibilities. The work begins in 1990, one garden bed at a time,growing through the many seasons of raising a family ,careers , education and caring for elderly parents finally  to become  the new home of Goin Native Garden Workshops in 2009.

Marianne will tell you first hand, that you learn  a lot about yourself and life in general when you get down and dirty in the garden. Marianne coined the term "Dirt Therapist".  "You reap what you sow in the garden and in life, be true to yourself and garden and your abundance in both will thrive."

As quoted by Poet Suzy Toronto, "She Who Never Gives Up: Lemons to lemonade, she always hangs in there. When opportunity knocks, it sometimes knocks her down,but she never lets it, get her down for long. She is triumphant, shining example of a woman who truly knows how to survive life's ups and downs. She understands the value of family,friendship and most importantly the gift of time. Putting aside all judgement, she generously shares her unconditional love". True to this poem, Marianne demonstrates  her life with the same passion and authenticity in her life as well as in her garden.