Garden Innovation

Here's a bird's eye view of a an exciting new feature in Gallon Jug Estate: an organic garden! This impressive spread, complete with footpaths, is all thanks to the efforts of Jackie Bowen (above) who has put heart and soul into the design and plantings. And lucky for us, it is finally paying off with fresh, luscious organic produce for Chan Chich Lodge and the rest of our community. A variety of lettuce (or is that "lettuces?"), herbs too numerous to remember, squashes, melons, radish, peppers and cucumber to name a few are all beginning to produce.

Those gardeners among my readers appreciate how difficult it can be to "go organic" battling pests using old fashioned non-chemical ways. I think it is even more difficult here since we have so many more insects to prey on tender leaves -- and that's 12 months out of the year too! Jackie's got that figured out too as she has started tobacco in case she needs to make a natural pest repellent.

Other garden plans include a stream bed which has been cut where the natural stream drainage used to be. It's dry now, but should fill up when the rains come in a couple of weeks. If that's successful, then fish will be added which could possibly provide another organic protein source (in addition to the Gallon Jug beef) for the Lodge.

The garden is a very exciting innovation that both Lodge guests and Gallon Jug residents will likewise appreciate.