2015 UPDATE — Brooke has sold FlowerSong to a wonderful new steward and she invites you to share the beauty she created there, even though a new steward friend now cares for it! Please click on the following link to see a wonderful photo gallery with inspiring descriptions of all aspects of this remarkable place: http://flowersonggarden.webs.com Be sure to check out all the sections listed at the very top and Enjoy!
FlowerSong is a 1.5 acre orchard / garden sanctuary in a tiny village next to the Paysayten Wilderness area of N central Washington – the gorgeous little valley of the Sinlaheken River. It’s glorious to spend days right within the beautiful privacy fence of this little Eden, plus, it’s just a few minutes drive to a big rolling mountain stream and millions of acres of wilderness forest and lakes.
Speaking of lakes, around us is wildlife preserve; large, beautiful ranches; and small, deep lakes for fishing. AND speaking of fishing, we have the best right here in our larger-than-Olympic-swimming-pool-size irrigation pond – I caught a couple 2-foot long trout, and enjoyed watching hundreds of them flash to the surface to take our offering of food all last summer.
Food can be picked, gathered, and boxed here (even supplemented by neighboring orchards) and taken to markets in the area. Just over the mountain in the Methow Valley is a Saturday market which is very popular with folks from Seattle.
We dry as much fruit/tomatoes and make as much leather as possible – that is basically our only cash crop, although any medicinals we would grow/create could also be sold, or traded at Barter Faire. We steam-juice, make into goodies, can, and freeze many things. Last year we had fruit preserves, salsa, tomato sauce, canned sweet fruit and tomatoes, pumpkin pie mix, apple pies, cherry pies, mincemeat, and pear chutney. Much more is possible with someone who loves to make luscious food for the winter!
Here's the link again for my photo gallery: http://flowersonggarden.webs.com