How Does Our Garden Grow – September 2022

By Rebecca Weersing

Rose Haven has benefited from Temecula’s very active Boy Scout Troops. Over the years a number of Scouts seeking to earn their Eagle Scout Rank have sought us out as a place in the community to plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service project helpful to any religious institution, school or community.

This year we are fortunate to have 5 projects in various stages of progress.
 
Project 1 helps birdlife that visits Rose Haven. Alex’s Eagle Project is to replace the Owl Box that has been in the garden for about 15 years. His team will not only install a new box at feet in the air but will improve on the previous design so that we will be able to lower the box in order to clean the box after nestings. Under his guidance his team will also build 4 houses for Western Bluebirds, locating the houses in somewhat close proximity. Western Bluebirds often have helpers at the nest – a family group supporting the parents and the baby western bluebirds.

Project 2 encourages literacy and sharing books. Josh’s team will be building 2 Little Free Libraries, one to be located in our Soil Farm and the other located in the Peace and Friendship Garden. A Little Free Library is a free book-sharing box where anyone may take a book or share a book.  Since we are a garden it would be appropriate for us to promote gardening and nature for all ages.

Project 3 is all about providing the tools for making soil from food scraps, garden waste and dead plants. Luke’s team will be building composting boxes and sifters for separating the new soil from materials still decomposing.The new soil will be added to planting areas in need of improvement. 

Project 4 will add a special Herb Spiral bed to the Tree of Life to grow culinary herbs. Joaquin and his team will construct an herb bed that will allow us to grow a wide variety of culinary herbs. The spiral design creates microclimates suited to different herbs.

Project 5, our most recent project, will create a propagating, potting, and nursery area at the left back area of the Tree of Life. James is at the beginning of the planning stage of his project.   

We are very fortunate to have these young men sharing their talents with us at Rose Haven.