Under the Douglas Dockery Thomas Fellowship in Garden History and Design sponsored by the Garden Club of America and the Landscape Architecture Foundation, this research focuses on the work of Filipino artist and gardener Demetrio Braceros at Cayuga Playground in San Francisco.

The printed book is the result of a year of research and close collaboration with community leaders, local landscape architects, and artists around Cayuga Playground that contributed to this preservation project. The collection of work features several essays on different themes about horticultural practices, folk sculpture, local ecology, and the Filipino migrant experiences of Demetrio. Architectural drawings and collages were also made to visualize the spatial, atmospheric, and cultural context of the garden. By reflecting through multiple modes of preservation including personal memory, collage, and writing I hope to holistically express the interconnected narratives and legacy of the park and its humble gardener.

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We hosted a book release event in 2021 which brought the Outer Mission community and Demetrio Braceros together after a difficult and isolating year under quarantine co-organized with the Cayuga Neighborhood Improvement Association. In the summer of 2023 we hosted another book sale event where community members were able to give the park’s sculptures a fresh coat of paint and share their memories of the park.

In 2023, the Ulap team visited Demetrio at his home studio and garden in Daly City. From tree house structures to rooms decorated with painted gourds, we were given an in depth look into his process and love for his craft.