18 Images of The Sanctuary, A Sustainable Urban Garden in Detroit
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At the intersection of Vernor and Newport, you will find the last of this seasons' sunflowers. They stand out in contrast to the urban surroundings of the neighborhood.
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The mound of flowers with Vernor Rd in the background is an interesting juxtaposition of urban and rural life.
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Sara has a natural talent for landscape design. The paths that twist through and around the garden lead through bushes of mint that add to the pleasing visual stimuli.
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A giant pumpkin near the sidewalk is almost ready for the fall harvest.
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Sara's trademark coffee cup waits next to some carrots as Sara pulls up food for lunch.
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From trash to function: the materials Sara used to build up the garden beds were found on empty lots and burned down houses within a 2 block radius.
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0: Sara Swor,Detroit, Michigan, proudly stands next to a towering tomato plant. She has been working the garden for two years now, and most of her meals come from the garden.
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The gate to the Sanctuary.
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Attached to the house is the Bio-Shelter, which includes a large pond full of native fish and turtle species, and of course, more tomatoes.
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Lunch provided by The Sanctuary and prepared by Sara. Every single ingredient, including the hot sauce, was hand-picked from the garden.
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The pride and joy of The Sanctuary. “The chickens are my hardest workers,” Sara says with a big smile. “They eat garden scraps and provide compost that is essentially the lifeblood of the garden.”
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Fallen trees and found materials help form the border for this kugelkultur garden. A red shovel stands as a monument to Sara's dedication to the project.
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The Sanctuary is located at 2526 Newport Street, Detroit, MI, 48215. Visitors and volunteers are always welcome, and yes- the produce is for sale.
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Today's batch of eggs, courtesy of the hardest workers on the farm: the chickens!
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After mentioning a need for soup ingredients, Sara bent down and dug in the earth. In less than a minute, she produced a handful of vegetables.
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Not just tomatoes! Sara's garden has a giant diversity of edibles.
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Sitting amongst the harvested sunflowers (“Me and a bunch of friends went out there with machetes”), Sara checks out the soil quality. She uses plant diversity to maintain a healthy pH balance for her crops.
