Our compound and garden came to be because we cut down the dead cherry tree, which brought down the fence, and because the warehouse for Cherry Tree Beads is on site.

This is only our second year gardening together.

Purpose of our gardens: to become more self sufficient, teach our children how to live in harmony with the earth, create a beautiful environment, our enjoyment, food, herbs, and because we love playing in the dirt!

Gardens include; Aquaponic systems (2), ponds(4), fruit trees, wild flowers, edible landscaping, shade garden, herbs- native/medicinal, art studio, and play houses. Almost everything we’ve created has been done using found and recycled materials.

“Aquaponics is the combination of aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (soilless plant culture). In aquaponics, the nutrient-rich water that results from raising fish provides a source of natural fertilizer for the growing plants. As the plants consume the nutrients, they help to purify the water that the fish live in. A natural microbial process keeps both the fish and plants healthy and helps sustain an environment in which they both can thrive. Essentially, aquaponics is organic gardening, but without the dirt.”

Future plans include; tilapia for ponds, more rain barrels, solar power, learning to use the herbs, and turning the side lot into urban farm. Dream would be to have hens, goat, small green house, raised beds, bee hives, fruit trees, and more aquaculture systems.

We feel extremely blessed that the cutting of the cherry tree was the catalyst for our gardening project and for the friendship between our two families. Last year our tomatoes tasted like summer, and we had many communal meals from the frozen tomato sauce during the cold weather. We look forward to many more!

Event Extras: Display and sale of Cherry Tree Beads, chalk painting & tree house tours for kids, tours of the on-site artist studio, and a kid-run lemonade stand.

Additional photos from the day of the stroll.