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Health & Fitness

Create an Edible Ecosystem: No Fertilizer or Pest Control Needed

Kristina Jones, Director of the Wellesley College Botanic Gardens, shares how to create an edible ecosystem in a guest blog for publisher Maria Rodale.

In a guest blog today for publisher Maria Rodale on The Huffington Post and Rodale's Farm Country Kitchen Blog, Kristina Jones, Director of the Wellesley College Botanic Gardens, shares advice for how to create an edible ecosystem to support plant health.

According to Jones, "The idea behind an "edible ecosystem" garden is a different but complementary approach to organic farming. Rather than make a traditional agricultural operation more ecologically sound by using organic methods, the edible ecosystem approach mimics a natural ecological system but swaps in food plants so that the system is particularly productive for humans..." Read the whole post on The Huffington Post or on Maria Rodale's Maria's Farm Country Kitchen web site.

Jones and her colleagues are working with permaculture experts to implement an edible ecosystem garden that includes a nut grove, fruit thickets, a fruit woodland, and an edible meadow on the campus (in less than half an acre of space). They are studying the garden as it evolves. 

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The Botanic Gardens are open to the public from 8 AM to 4 PM daily. There are also classes offered for the public and great summer programs for families. On Saturday, June 16 families are invited to "All About Flowers" (the event is free but space is limited and preregistration is required; call 781-283-3094 or email wcbgfriends@wellesley.edu). There are also still spaces available in an "Introduction to Botanic Art" class to be held August 13 - 17 (see the Spring/Summer program guide page 8 for more information).

Or, for some really incredible pictures of Wellesley's spectacular flora, friend The Botanic Gardens on Facebook!

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