​High in the mountains along the continental divide, harvesting water and creating micro-climates is essential. This large spiraling Crater garden is designed to catch and store the water from the roads and surrounding drainage basin to keep it longer into the long dry summers and early cold winters. Created at beautiful Sage Mountain Center, this project incorporates a wide range of sustainable living solutions.

While improving the road and access to the crater, large boulders were found amid the decomposing granite. These boulders were incorporated into the embankments of the spiraling terraces to act as a solar collector to catch the heat from the sun and store it in the ground. The sunken nature of the garden protects from chilling and desiccating winds, enhancing the life that’s supported naturally inside the garden. Medicinal herbs will be the long term crop for this garden as the extreme climate produces the highest quality medicines.