Gardens

Organic Gardening Is A Land Stewardship Practice

	Eating locally means less gas and oil used for food transportation, eating seasonally means less energy for storage.
	Growing food organically releases fewer harmful synthetic substances like pesticides and herbicides into nature.
	Growing food organically helps protect the biodiversity and health of ecosystems. It also requires less land than industrial farming.
	Purchasing local food supports a healthy and diverse local economy, which is good for small farmers, businesses and local communities.

Under the skilled hands and watchful eye of horticulturist Margaret Drescher, the gardens at WHF have developed over many years into the rich landscape you see today. This wealth of fertile soil, flowers, bees, trees, birds, vegetables and fruit is a direct result the loving attention and hard work of many gardeners. Even more so, it is evidence of the fundamental health and resilience of nature. 

Beginning this 2011 season, former garden manager Shannon Jones has returned to these gardens with her partner, Bryan Dyck, to start their own business, Broadfork Farm (live link to their web site and facebook page). They are living in the Blue Dragon garden house and have leased the greenhouses and the portions of the Sweetwater and Great East Gardens allotted to growing annual vegetables. We welcome these delightful and highly skilled gardeners to Windhorse Farm and wish them every success in developing their farming business. Whether they stay here for one or many seasons, their contributions are already tremendously appreciated.
 

 As well as providing the food for the residents and programs at Windhorse Farm (link to Calendar of Events), they will be selling their produce at farm markets in Lunenburg and Bridgewater. You may also be able to email orders to them for pick up at Windhorse (email address). 

The extensive permaculture of the Great East and Sweetwater gardens has been developed over the past 18 years. With Sweetwater Brook pooling and riffling through them, they cover several acres of at the edge of the ponds and marshlands near Wentzell Lake. The fertile sandy loam soils are further enriched by compost from the barn, which is in continual process of decomposition. In this and other ways, the gardens are connected to all other aspects of farm life in a closed loop system. In fact, “closing the loops” is a dominant theme at Windhorse Farm.

These tranquil and productive gardens include perennial flowers, annual and perennial vegetables, blueberries, raspberries, and a variety of tree fruit. The bounty feeds family, visitors, program participants, neighbours and customers, all of whom come to a greater appreciation of “local, seasonal, and organic”. Cold frames and greenhouses provide vibrant living green food, particularly enjoyed in the winter and early spring.

A very important part of these gardens is the abundant and diverse web of wild life. Brush walls offer protection for insects, amphibians, snakes, birds and small mammals. Many trees and shrubs fruit with delectable sustenance for wildlife. The brook and marshlands are home to fish, beaver, mink, fox, and white tail deer. Eagles and osprey soar overhead and fish in the ponds and lake. Altogether, the diverse web of interdependent life is what makes organic gardening so rewarding. In order to encourage others, these gardens include the Sweetwater Native Plant Nursery, a great opportunity to “take it all home.”

The Windhorse gardens stimulate all our senses with the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches of familiar and surprising delights. Guided tours can be arranged by contacting our office. Unstructured, aimless wandering is even easier!

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