Dear Crossroads extended family,
We have less than two weeks to get all the mulches and
yard waste in the mounds before we rent that excavator and Bill Morton covers it up and makes our first beds! the weather is supposed to get warm this week! May 4th we will begin from 10am on, to build beds, and Sunday, May 5th from 2pm on, we will plant family
trees. Bring a snack or potluck for the lunches or dinner if you can. This is a wonderful educational
experience to learn how to do this on YOUR property for long term
sustainable gardens, big or small. I will be teaching and answering any
gardening questions. I am a Master Gardener, and Certified
Permaculture Designer and While I don't know it all, I have a lot of tips and perspectives that will make your
gardening life easier and more productive. I will be selling my favorite tool at cost, the serrated sicle, called a Kama. for under 10$. This will be your #1 garden tool in this style of easy
permaculture maintaining of the systems. You will LOVE your weeds with this chopper.
This will be the first wave of what we will create at Crossroads. We will have seed ball making stations available for kids and people that want to do more than watch Bill dig!! Please bring any extra wildflower seeds! Kids are a wonderful addition to the process as long as they are kept away from the machinery. Come celebrate spring with us. Choose the section you want your family garden in. I will be teaching those interested, (or blessed with
volunteer hours) how to oversee the first years of tending until the power of god takes over. This system is very different than typical organic annual gardens. It might look a little unruly in it's adolescent years, but as succession of weeds and annuals gives way to the perennials, fruits and nuts, you will see the blessings.
On Memorial Weekend, Saturday and Monday we will do the same with more beds. If you don't get a chance to drop off your yard cleanings and rotting
wood in these next two weeks, (over a dead wood line) then you have another 2 weeks' chance to do so! We will have great long term success if there are diverse mulches under the soil
berms or swales. Leaves, rotting
hay and wood, and manures are especially appreciated! Thank you!
Please think of taking your extra perennials, raspberries and strawberries that you separate to the church. Please label what you can and we will put these with your family tree if you have one. Each family garden can express Gods
art in your own way! Please do a little research on www.permies.com or google plant species in the following areas for your fruit tree guild to be well balanced for long term health:
-mulch producer
-nitrogen fixer
-pollinator attractor
-deep nutrient accumulator
If you have mulch contributions, simply drive down to the next mound of wood that needs to be covered. (Fill south hillside berms first- enter south of the shipping container.)
If you have a flatbed and would like to help me pick up trees from the Schiltz tree farm, please let me know. I hope to make sure that by Friday we have gathered all we can. If you have friends with manure, and the ability to bring it to the church, the garden will thank you forever!
If you have a special fruit tree you would like to order, you are welcome to. If you choose to get a cherry species, you will be responsible to use the proper organic sprays as is required by law on cherry trees to prevent fruit fly problems. Please let me know what fruit tree you would like and what you would like a plaque in your name to say. I see this as a prayer garden, that as you walk through, you can pray for the families names on the plaques. You may drop off your fruit trees (watered) at the church near the garden (shipping container, or bring it sat or Sunday, May 4th and 5th. Otherwise, I will order an assortment of trees and you can donate for one of these. The church is not funding this, so I am asking for any donations toward trees and wildflower seeds or donations of these. Send to 150 Conifer Ln, Bigfork Mt 59911. Fruit trees of quality are from $25 to $50, Please donate what you can, and include $5 for your family plaque and what you would like it to say with your check as well as requests for a certain type of fruit tree.
Thank you so much! God has blessed me in such a fantastic garden ministry to serve the health and beauty at Crossroads for long term wellness for all. Love and gratitude to you all for participating and for your prayers for successful garden building.
Please pass this message on to anyone who would like to help or to have a tree in our memorial-prayer food forest garden. Please look for Zone 4 hardy species. Nut trees are a wonderful addition too. Please call me with questions or comments, 314-3808. or
kellyware@centurytel.net The Bigfork Eagle has a nice article about the garden this week. Please share.
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