The experience of planning and developing a new community is similar to planting a garden. It requires patience, hard work and a vision - but what a joy when you see the plants break through the soil. Carmelita Gardens, located in Santa Familia Village, Cayo, is now breaking through and is quickly becoming the freshest community in Belize. When I began planning Carmelita Gardens, I researched a planning movement called "New-Ruralism", which "is a framework for creating a bridge between Sustainable Agriculture and New Urbanism". Since then, the most esteemed land planners and architects have been promoting a similar idea called Agrarian Urbanism. The principles of Agrarian Urbanism are resonating with people looking for an alternative to the rat race. The ability to independently generate electricity from the sun and produce a sustainable amount of food from a garden at affordable prices is finally here. For years the intrepid few have lived off-the-grid in remote locations, but now it can be a mainstream reality. Carmelita Gardens is designed to combine new technologies, traditional gardening and classical design into a cohesive community of independent homes. This new “Artisan Agrarianism” represents a blend of resilient living, self-sustainability and a community atmosphere. I like to think of Carmelita Gardens as a place where people can be "Independent Together". The weather in Belize is great and has just the right mix of sunny days and rainy days. The clear skies have afforded us the opportunity to move quickly in building homes and establishing a community. The rainy days are a blessing as it makes all the plants so vibrant, it fills the cisterns and makes the sounds of the river so inviting. Every day brings new excitement, new development and life changing experiences. We like to say; when the sun is shining and the rain is falling we can almost watch the corn grow. Well, you can actually watch the Carmelita Gardens community grow with every new roof top. As new residents move in and embrace their new lifestyle it reminds us of one of our favorite quotes, “If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we are not really living.” ~Gail Sheehy. Come grow with us. Please join us for a tour or just start a conversation about what your new home and life could be. You can get more information through Live and Invest Overseas and by visiting our website at www.CarmelitaGardens.com.
