Sacred Garden Sanctuary Newsletter for August, 2011
In this Issue
We decided to go ahead and get the koi pond (See July newsletter). It's very beautiful and will add needed ambiance to the Sanctuary. The pond hole is partially dug, and an area around it has been leveled. The location will be directly north of the lower fenced garden.
A new couple just arrived at the Sanctuary yesterday. They want to stay permanently. We are very happy to have this new addition, which will give us a small core to build on and much needed help with the work. We will be getting to know each other better in the coming days. We have two other inquiries, with a tentative visit from another couple in September.
The farmer's market has been somewhat of a success for the first year, considering the small attendance at the Douglas market. This has been made possible by a friend, Russ, selling some of our produce for us at the Bisbee market. We've decided to definitely do the Bisbee market next year and boost our income many-fold from this year's modest level. We are hoping Douglas market will be on Sunday next year, allowing us to vend at both markets.
| Her is our main garden beds, in the height of summer. Some crops are starting to diminish production: squash, beans, and cucumbers. Others: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant are just getting production started. We have had a lack of rain this month and have been heavily relying on the soaker hoses and drip systems. Thankfully, we got our first rain of August, 1/4 inch, on the 15th. |  |
 |
Here is a view of the main garden looking to the northeast from the flower beds, which continue to product and attract butterflies, bees, wasps, and all kinds of pollenators. |
| We have continued to plant more pomegranate bushes and chinaberry trees on the perimeter of the gardens for windbreak, shade, and a fruit cash corp. Michael has planted more around the upper garden. We now have close to 100 pomegranate seedlings which will be substantial for windbreak in 2-3 years and hopefuly fruiting in 3-4 years. We are continuing to plan another crop of chinaberry seedlings outside the pomegranates, around the upper garden perimeter. Here you can see the small seedlings and how rapidly the ones planted earlier this year have grown. |
|
Summary of Happenings
- July ended with a very good rain total, but August has been dry until yesterday, the 15th, when we got about 1/4 inch. Well, it's better than nothing!
- Edwin still needs to take safety training for the Adopt-a-Highway program.
- We continue to have a market presence at the Douglas Mercado in spite of slow sales, and at Bisbee through another retailer..
- Dan and Niki from Pennsylvania have joined the community. Welcome!
On the agenda for August
- Outplanting more cell trays
- Seeding more cell trays for later crops
- Continuing to finish drip systems and chinaberry tree plantings
- Tending the garden beds, and weeding out the ubiquitous pigweed.
- Installation of koi pond
- Possible visits from people inquiring about the Sanctuary
Please Spread the Word
If you know of anyone who has a pioneer spirit and is interested in community, ecology, organic gardening, living simply, and personal growth, please pass the word by directing them to http://sacredsanctuary.org and encourage them to subscribe to this newsletter.
Wishing you peace and love -
Edwin Basye, Steward
