The beans provide nitrogen for all three plants while the squash covers the earth. In so doing, the squash foliage serves as a living mulch, preserving soil moisture and squelching weed growth. Herbs.

On his quarter-acre yard in San Carlos, Gallego has 120 fruit trees, including 17 different kinds of banana trees. The tree he finds most beautiful is his Inga edulis, the ice cream bean tree.

Papaya tree nursery (papayatreenursery.com) grows three white sapote — which it calls “ice cream fruit” — varieties. Vegetables.