Tending Gaia's Gardens Feed

Gaia's Gardens: Heaven on Earth

 

One of the joys of being an active member of The Western Reserve Herb Society is the abundant talent and intellect of the group. Far from being just a "ladies who lunch" club, this is a working group that spends its time caring for the established herb gardens down at The Cleveland Botanical Garden as well as having  teaching meetings at it's members homes and down at the gardens. Yesterday's meeting was no less extraordinary. I was told to bring a picnic type dish to share and come prepared to be amazed. I can't give you the exact location of these beautiful gardens , but I will say that they are nestled along the banks of the beautiful Chagrin River.  As you can see, I arrived and found myself completely lost in paradise.

It was a wonderful day spent with friends partaking in a glorious Japanese Tea Ceremony , breaking bread together and wandering this extensive and utterly gorgeous monastery garden. I'd be hard pressed to choose my favorite of the beautiful structures but I'd have to say that if I could have taken one of them home it would have been this one. I left feeling refreshed , heart-filled and truly inspired.  

 

 

Gaia's Gardens: Heaven on Earth

Gaia's Gardens: Heaven on Earth

Gaia's Gardens: Heaven on Earth

Gaia's Gardens: Heaven on Earth

Gaia's Gardens: Heaven on Earth


Orchard Planting and Heirloom Apple Workshop brought to you by Community Green House Partners!

Heirloom-Apples

Hot off of the presses from The Community Greenhouse Partners! You won’t want to miss this fun and informative event! I’ll see you there!
 

“Please join us for a great afternoon of planting and learning, as Community Greenhouse Partners plants the "Katherine B Jones Memorial Woodland Garden" on the corner of East 65th and Superior on Palm Sunday, April 17th, 2011.

At 12:30 PM, Gary Paul Nabhan will conduct a free workshop focusing on: "Heirloom Fruit Search, Community Conservation, and Local Market Recovery". Nabhan is an internationally-celebrated nature writer, seed saver, conservation biologist and sustainable agriculture activist who has been called “the father of the local food movement” by Mother Earth News. Gary is also an orchard-keeper, wild forager and Ecumenical Franciscan brother in his hometown of Patagonia, Arizona near the Mexican border.

At 2 PM, we will move out to the front lawn of CGP, where we plan to plant at least 25 trees including various types of apple, pear and plum, bushes including huckleberry, blueberry and raspberry, plus many other varieties of plant life. The goal is to create a true Forest Garden, to act as an example of how vacant land can be transformed into a healthy landscape that creates both community and economic development opportunities.

Bring gloves and garden tools. Light refreshments will be served. Please RSVP to the number given below or respond at their Facebook Event Site!

This event is made possible by a generous grant from the Katherine B and Thomas H. Jones Charitable Trust of the Cleveland Foundation. Additional support is being provided in the forms of tools being lent to CGP by the Greater Cleveland Habitat For Humanity's Re-Store. Thanks also to Food and Water Watch for helping with publicity. Additional Sponsors always welcome, contact Tim Smith for details at
 216-926-4806

The CGP Vision:
• Our most valuable assets are our people and our customers.
• Agriculture is the key to a sustainable future.
• Reach out to our neighbors and help them by helping themselves.
• Create a better future through education and training.
• Respect the community and the environment.
• Integrity and responsiveness in all our interactions with constituents.

In order to meet this mission CGP will develop programs that combine earth, food, employment, self-worth, education and opportunity into a replicable sustainable system that benefits both the individual as well as the community. These programs will be based on the following values:

• A valued, sustainable community is one that integrates human capital into a balanced ecosystem.
• Changes to the environment must be considered in context of their impact on the next seven generations.
• Changing the dynamics of a community begins with opportunity and creating the tools to achieve it.
• A healthy community is one that provides for the whole person.
• Respect for the individual, community and the environment must be integrated into all our actions.
• Our actions and accomplishments will be measured by our impact on the individual, the community and the environment.”


This is a press release from The Community Greenhouse Partners. They are doing amazing things here in our fair city! Please go to their website and learn how you can be involved!

Photograph of Heirloom apples courtesy of Ifoodtv. Please read their article How to save heirloom apples . It's a wonderful introduction to the whys and hows of the preservation of older varieties of this beloved fruit!