CLAREMONT, Calif. — Home gardening is booming during the coronavirus pandemic, but one Claremont couple is taking it to the extreme.

For Stan Abramowicz and Teresita Caspillo, their front yard is a source of pride. They’ve transformed every green inch of their property — including what used to be a front lawn — into their own personal farm.

“Every time the people pass by, they say, 'Oh, you have a very nice garden, lots of vegetables and lots of flowers, it’s unique,'" Caspillo said.

“My parents first bought this house in 1961," said Abramowicz. "I was, like, 12 years old." He moved back in 2004 when his parents fell ill. When a large rotted tree had to be removed from the front yard, he decided to replace it with a small garden. It was the start of what would be a complete front yard transformation.

During the pandemic, with the local senior center closed and stay-at-home orders in place, the couple has spent even more time than usual in their front yard farm. Caspillo spends hours nearly every day tending to it. While being able to eat fresh food around the clock, they are also saving money.

“Everything now is going up, especially when you go to the grocery store," said Caspillo. "The vegetables are very expensive."

There is a nationwide movement for front yard farms, which was recently featured in the Farmers’ Almanac. Abramowicz encourages anyone considering it to start small and give it a try.

"It’s therapeutic," he said. "You see it producing and doing good, and it gives you a sense of satisfaction that you are doing the right thing."

There is increasing evidence that gardening provides substantial health benefits, including reducing depression, anxiety, obesity, and heart disease, as well as increasing life satisfaction, quality of life, and sense of community.

A front yard vegetable garden can transform an average, grass lawn into a beautiful, productive space. For Abramowicz and Caspillo, their front yard reconnects them to their food, community, and each other.