December 2023

December 2023 Edition

by David Whitaker

Dear Windermere Ranch Family,

A garden is much more than just a patch of veggies and a few fruit trees – it's a gathering place to work, grow, and connect. When I head down to the garden for work session, I sometimes wonder, why am I putting in all this effort?

For me, it's about the kids. It's about watching them pick and munch on green beans or dig up carrots. It's about the crunch of fresh lettuce in salads and the face Elmer makes when he tastes a (not too spicy) radish.

As much as it's for the kids, the garden is for the community too. That means all of you. And it gives much more than food, it's a place to for us to connect, enjoy the peace of the ranch, and share stories. The garden connects us to the past, grounds us in the present, and gives hope for the future.

When the Whitaker crew moved to the Ranch last December, we took on the development and care of the garden. It all started with the greenhouse–a puzzle of metal, plastic, and bolts with no two pieces alike. With cold fingers, on windy days, Milo and I pieced it together.

Then came the rain, and things started growing – carrots, beets, radishes, arugula, squash, and pumpkins. But we had removed the fence to expand the garden, and our furry friends, Bully and the brush goats, found it too tempting. They feasted and the garden was their appetizer.

In a week-long marathon of trenching, forming, and mixing, we poured a new concrete footer for the fence to keep the tunneling animals at bay. Then, with the new octagonal space of the garden defined, we waited for deliveries of Alaskan Yellow Cedar and Critter Fence.

Finally, everything arrived and building the fence reached the top of the ranch project priority list. For two months, we worked a couple of afternoons each week to complete the fence. It has three gates, looks great, and keeps the animals out.

Then, a plot twist – a kind Windermere donor connected us with landscape designer Paul Hendershot and paid for him to draw up a plan for the new garden: complete with raised beds, in-ground planting, a grape arbor, an orchard, herbs, and native plants.

With fence up and plan in place, we started our winter garden. My friend and gardening mentor, Cisco Mirales, helped us put our in-ground beds to work, and the seeds and transplants finally had a safe space to flourish: spinach, kale, radishes, marigolds, lettuces, parsley, azaleas, onions, green beans, potatoes, and more.

With the design funds, we're making moves. Our raised beds are nearly complete and there's more in the pipeline – stone steps, irrigation, the grape arbor, and an herb spiral. And of course, fruit trees! We're talking a year-round orchard – citrus in the Spring, peaches in Summer, apples in Fall, and persimmons in Winter.

We're fundraising to complete the infrastructure and to pay for the fruit trees, berry bushes, and grape vines that we'll order in January.

Here are our fundraising goals:

Raised Bed and Stone Step Completion: $7500
Irrigation: $1500
Herb Spiral Construction: $1000
Grape Arbor Construction: $750
Fruit Trees: $50 each x 10 = $500
Grapes Vines: $30 each x 6 = $180
Berry Bushes: $17 each x 6 = $102
Grand Total: $11,532

If you'd like to contribute, please make a general donation here:

Donate to Support the Windemere Garden!

This garden is for all of us. If you ever have a hankering to get your hands dirty, come on up! There's always something to do in the garden.

So, swing by! Grab a bean, munch on some spinach, or yank out a radish. Our garden is a place for the Windemere community to connect and grow. We'll be in touch with opportunities to volunteer. Can't wait to see you there!

Scenic views at Windermere Ranch. Enjoy these photos and videos from Milo, LeiLani, and ranch guests.

Watch | View

We love you. God bless you. Peace, be still,
Ashley, for Windermere Ranch

Nota: Las cartas y diversas actualizaciones ahora están disponibles en español! Favor de enviarme un email, si deseas recibirlos en español.

Institute for Individual and World Peace (IIWP)
3500 W Adams Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90018