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“They were harvesting water before it was cool,” mused Sandoval.
The last planting area where tomatoes and chilies will grow in raised beds reflects contact with Spain and Mexico beginning around the mid-1500s.
“Trade started to pick up by this time,” said Sandoval who added that this era had some benefits but also severe agricultural drawbacks that threatened indigenous vegetation.
“Whatever the Spanish planted took over the entire field,” she said.
When the U.S. started to meddle in Pueblo farming techniques, they uprooted Pueblo irrigation systems, and installed new ones, claiming they were better. That didn’t turn out to be the case.
So, as time went by, Sandoval said that Pueblo farmers went back to their original proven ways and most of the indigenous plant varieties survived.
On the outskirts of the raised beds, four young blossoming fruit trees, two apple trees, one peach, and one apricot, represent the fruit tree varieties the Spanish brought with them.
Like the plots that visually tell the history of Pueblo farming, every part of the Resilience Garden has a purpose.
“The winding path gets people close to the plants. It makes the garden more accessible, welcoming, and engaging,” said Sandoval.
Created as an interactive space, the Resilience Garden is also used for teaching and learning. As the spring turns into summer, then fall, the public is invited to help grow, harvest, and enjoy the mixture of indigenous and introduced plant varieties through the Seasons of Growth Learning Series.
Classes are held on the second Sunday of every month from now through October from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Participants will learn about traditional seeds, food, and farming methods and will be given seeds and plants to take home for their own gardens.
While the Resilience Garden keeps growing and producing year after year, Sandoval said it yields much more.
“People living in urban areas sometimes don’t think they can farm unless they have a huge plot of land. We have multiple examples in our garden on how you can use a small area to plant,” mentioned Sandoval.
She added that after visitors see how the Resilience Garden tells a story, they may want to create their own story-telling garden.
“It’s a good way to keep a gar- den growing. It gives it mean- ing. That’s important to have. If you don’t have a purpose, you don’t keep up with it,” said Sandoval.
On Earth Day, April 22, community members will have another chance to help grow the Resilience Garden
“It’s going to be a big volunteer event!” exclaimed Sandoval.
The Season of Growth Learning series is free, however, there is a $5 suggested donation.
For more information visit Indianpueblo.org