Demi Braceros, who came to America from the Philippines in 1973, first learned gardening from his parents, who had a farm. In 1986, having qualified for employment as a gardener for the City of San Francisco, he was given a park "of his own." Cayuga Park and Playground was neglected and messy, and there were various crime problems as well. Demi says he knew bad things had happened in the park, and that in his work he tried to make it a park that would make visitors feel proud and respectful of the neighborhood and themselves.

He started with basics, cleaning, moving soil, planting. Soon it became obvious that he had no intention of settling for ordinary excellence. For Demi, gardening was an art form. From pruning grew topiary, some whimsical, some like abstract sculpture in living form. When aging trees on steep slopes blew down in winter storms, or had to be removed for safety, Demi, chainsaw in hand, saw an opportunity far more valuable than firewood. Delighted, he proceeded to sculpt the trees into wooden people and animals, which he integrated into the landscape he was creating. As the living garden continued to improve, more wooden personages appeared. The line between garden and sculpture disappeared as Demi made topiary sculpture, rustic arbors made of pruned wood, supported by living trees, and woven living vines in basketwork patterns. Wooden birds and lizards perched and skulked across arbors and garden plants alike. Logs became boars and dinosaurs for children to ride. Narrow pathways lined with art snaked up the hilly sides of the park, mysterious and maze-like.

Demi works harder and with more enjoyment than anybody else I've met. He proved equal to the herculean task of making Cayuga park pleasant and safe, but he chose to do far more that that. Once the basics were sorted out, maintenance got easier and he had time for more. It gradually became clear that for Demi, gardening was an art as well as a science. His drive came from a creative urge, from an inspiration that he wanted to communicate.

Demi himself is small, gentle, rather shy, and a native speaker of Tagalog whose English vocabulary is slanted towards gardening terms. He is warm, affectionate, sometimes gets teary-eyed when visitors praise his work. He wants his art to inspire, and he always seems full of gratitude.

Sculptures © 2008 Demetrio Braceros, all rights reserved.

Design © 2008 Josie Porter/Feast of Weeds.

Webmaster Josie Porter.