Mission Garden

As I began to tell you last week, The Happy Ladies Garden Club went to The Birthplace of Tucson.

This is the view from Sentinel Peak, a high spot over the location of the Presidio the white settlers established. 

Now it is the home of the University of Arizona's giant A, and a hiking and sightseeing destination

I followed the Happy Ladies around the garden's surrounding adobe brick wall and through this gate.

The produce the garden creates was on a table to our left, but we were not allowed to look.

Our guide led us into the recreation of what used to be. 

The Santa Cruz River ran year 'round up until the 1600's.

Greenery was everywhere.

If you can grow a bigger sunflower in your backyard, post us a picture in the comments.

Personally, I'm going with "this is the biggest thing I've ever seen."

The goose neck squash we saw were the second blossoms of the season.

They were in the Three Sisters Garden.

Corn, beans, and squash fed the community all year long.

The tall corn stalks shaded the lower growing vegetation during the heat of the summer.

When they died back, the others took turns as staples.

It wasn't only veggies.

Fruit limes flourished as well.

Benches span the irrigation canals and the bermed beds

Grapevines for wine were tried, both trellised and left low.

It's an experimental garden, too. 

The volunteers built a ramada, using native branches.

The open weave let a gentle breeze through while sheltering us from the Arizona sun.

And finally, lest you think that I am living in a mythical Garden of Eden,

here is a blue agave, growing in the rocks and the dirt.

When it's grown, the juice will be distilled and tequila will be made.

 

Life in the desert is good.