Natural Gardener: Tour our grounds

The Natural Gardener has many garden areas demonstrating organics at work and showing you what your plants can look like when they are all grown up. We have demonstration areas of vegetable gardens, herb garden, orchard/vineyard, butterfly garden, xeriscape and others that are continually being added and reworked so they are constantly changing. In our gardens, we practice what we believe in - organics. You can have not just as nice as but a much better garden then your neighbor who is constantly using chemicals and you will feel better and breathe better (literally) in your garden. While you are here, also spend some time meditating while walking the labyrinth, visit our Tipi, or stop and chat with our chickens and donkeys.

The Butterfly Garden was created in 1999 and is a haven to caterpillars, butterflies and people alike. Its beds are designed in the form of a butterfly if viewed from above. Plants are selected as host plants and or nectar plants for a variety of butterflies. A certain times of the year, you will see one plant being visited by hundreds of butterflies.

On our grounds, you will find a wonderful demonstration garden for vegetables. You will be able to see organics at work. Big beautiful luscious tomatoes compete for space with corn, squash, and other summer veggies. During the winter you will find broccoli, cabbage, many varieties of lettuce, and a plethora of greens. You can use this garden to help design your own home vegetable garden and learn what to do when those pesky pest show up - yes we do get squash vine borer, stinkbugs and cabbage loppers just like you!

The Herb Garden was designed in 1998 by Lucinda Hutson author of The Herb Garden Cookbook and numerous gardening articles for National Magazines. The Herb Garden has been featured in articles in Kitchen Gardening and Fine Gardening Magazines. It features a vast variety of culinary and medicinal herbs from many ethnic groups.

The Labyrinth is a journey to the center and back, never crossing the same path twice, never going back. It is similar path to life's journey. Labyrinths are used as a place of meditation to help you decipher the questions that arise as we walk through life.

In 2004 we erected a pine pole and canvas tipi near our labyrinth. We have taken great care to ensure that every step in the creation of this tipi was respectful of Native American traditions. Now you can enjoy and explore this lovingly-crafted tent here on our grounds.

We have several gardens on the property that are considered Xeric (low water use.) They show that low water use plants do not have to mean cacti and rocks (though both of these have their places in many gardens.) Succulents, grasses, shrubs, select perennials can all find their way into a Xeric garden.

Many of the trees in our Orchard have been growing since we moved to the grounds ten years ago. In the spring we enjoy the sweet fragrance and the visual beauty that the trees present. Then in the summer we eat juicy peaches, plums, pears, apples and even the more exotic persimmons and jujubes. In our vineyard we have grapes for eating, jelly and wine. In the same area we have other vines of blackberries and raspberries. Each year we have classes that well help you learn how to plant, prune and take care of your fruit trees for best productions and the healthiest trees.

At The Natural Gardener, we are at the cutting edge of organics with our aerobically active compost tea. We brew a batch of compost tea in our 100-gallon brewer every week having it available for sale Friday - Sunday. The tea has live microorganisms that benefit the soil and the plants and can be applied as a soil drench or a foliar feed. Our tea includes both bacterial and fungal organisms that will benefit all types of plants. Compost Tea has been shown to help plant growth and health, reduce water needs in the soil, reduce disease, and many other benefits to the soil and plants. Be sure to come out on a day that you can put out the tea on your garden within 8 hours.

Pop in and see the animals here at The Natural Gardener. We have Chico and Kiko the miniature donkeys, the goats Cocoa and Trout, chickens of all types and ages, various cats of various origins, and Pepper the parrot. Of course, trying to be a sustainable business, our animals work. The donkeys provide mowing and wonderful manure compost for the grounds, the chickens make eggs and compost, and the cats are supposed to patrol for mice.