In the garden with Ron Finley

Ron Finley, a.k.a. the Gangsta Gardener, surveys the edible garden he created out of an Olympic-sized pool in his South Los Angeles home.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

May 16, 2017 9:45 AM PT

Ron Finley’s garden at his South Los Angeles home includes artichokes, chard, flowering celery, Mexican marigolds, Red Russian kale and mint.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Berries grow in Ron Finley’s garden at his South Los Angeles property.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Ron Finley’s backyard is filled with plants, including the Olympic-sized pool that features murals created by his sons.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Ron Finley’s plant-strewn property in South Los Angeles is a welcome oasis from the traffic and noise of nearby Exposition Boulevard.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Ron Finley puts a shopping cart to good use in his plant-filled backyard.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

A banana branch hangs from a tree at Ron Finley’s garden in South Los Angeles.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Earthworms help nourish the soil at Ron Finley’s garden.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

“People ask me what my inspiration is, and I tell them: I woke up this morning,” says Ron Finley, a.k.a. the Gangsta Gardener.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Ron Finley’s garden in South Los Angeles includes artful touches like murals painted by his sons.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)