Our Preparation Garden
Before the Valley Blooms
Even before setting foot in Encanto do Vale, our garden journey has already begun. Here in our temporary home, we’re growing the first roots of our sustainable vision — learning the soil, testing what thrives, and preparing to carry this living knowledge into our future retreat.
Every pot, sprout, and seedling here represents more than just growth — it’s practice in patience, mindfulness, and respect for the land we’ll soon call home.
What We're Growing Now
🌱 Herbs for Everyday Life: Basil, rosemary, oregano, and mint — our essential herbs for cooking, healing, and scenting the air.
🥕 Seasonal Vegetables: Lettuce, radishes, and peppers to test soil blends and sun exposure.
🍋 Young Fruit Starts: Lemons and figs in containers that will one day be planted in our orchard.
🌸 Companion Flowers: Lavender, marigolds, and jasmine to invite pollinators and joy.
Our Sustainable Practices
Each step we take now helps us refine the systems we’ll use at Encanto do Vale:
🌾 Composting kitchen scraps to create natural fertilizer
💧 Collecting rainwater for reuse and measuring local rainfall patterns
🪴 Testing different soil blends using BioBizz Light Mix, worm humus, and perlite
📓 Journaling weekly growth notes to understand Portugal’s rhythm of seasons
Learning Before We Plant
This stage is our classroom — teaching us how to care for our future orchard, how to balance water and sunlight, and how to nurture life even in small spaces. It’s proof that sustainable living doesn’t begin with land ownership — it begins with intention.