With heat stroke warnings being issued daily, we have decided to suspend the Garden Club until it cools down, allowing us to safely and leisurely work in the food forest. Thank you to everyone who joined the Garden Club and helped us build part of our food forest. We hope to resume garden clubs and events around the fall equinox.
Over the spring and summer, we were able to plant three new food forest beds: a mulberry bed, a pineapple guava bed, and companions around the existing gumi tree. We have also made great progress in selectively weeding nuisance plants from the food forest area, leaving a soft, beneficial ground cover for access paths and gathering spaces.
Despite record heat and excessive heat warnings almost daily, the food forest at Kumano Shindo remains lush and healthy. Ground covers, heavy mulching, and close companion planting techniques are performing well, providing protective shade and sequestering water during this intense summer sun and heat.