Gardening
Gardens for many people are a connection to Nature, the natural world, the universe, to God. Visiting parks and natural places and public or private gardens is one way to feel this connection. Having the space to nurture a plant or make a garden is a great opportunity. To garden is to have hope for the future. Many gardeners share that gardening gives them a special feeling of calmness and peace.
I am often surprised to hear people talk of gardening in negative terms and wonder about it. Some see gardening as hard work rather than a joyful experience. Some people see gardening as a way to control the environment using chemical weapons similar to weapons of mass destruction which kill not only pests, and unintentially inflict much collateral damage on unintended plants and animals, including humans. Although they may be enjoying gardening, the indiscriminate use of chemicals has such a negative impact upon our Earth so is also negative gardening.
I wish to share a positive way to see gardening and the topics in this site are an attempt to share some gardening thoughts and ideas gained through experience.
Sustainability as a Goal
Using sustainable gardening methods, which is becoming aware of and attempting to create a balance between the human impact on the natural world and the world’s ability to support life indefinitely, each of us can help protect our Earth in a small way. We have a responsibility to the Earth and all of its creatures. Live life so that we have as little negative impact or harm as is possible to the environment and upon our Earth is a goal. Include a garden as part of life, and one can choose to actively and consciously be a part of natures's cycle and natural rhythms of the world.
Valuing conservation, frugality, encouraging saving, and emphasizing connectedness and community is ethically important to the future of the survival of all species. Our moral imperative is to raise the consciousness of responsible consumption habits at home, at work, and in our religious communities. Embracing this sustainability ethic makes socially responsible consumption more achievable.
The ultimate goal of sustainable gardening is to have a healthy living plant and soil ecosystem that does not need added pesticides. Sustainable gardening uses wise choices in design and placement of plant material, natural biological methods to build soil fertility and healthy, insect-resisting plants, plants adapted for the environment they will grow in, and maintenance methods that are gentle on the plants and the environment. Growing plants and gardening using sustainable gardening techniques is a pathway to reaching to goal of acting on the belief that each person can and does make a difference to protect and care for our Earth using harmful practices as little as possible.
Everyone a Gardener
A garden can be as small as a pot with a plant you care for or a big yard and garden. Nearly everyone can be a gardener.
Nature’s resources are finite. Many of us have mentally distanced ourselves from nature, but we all rely upon the services Nature delivers. Current modern lifestyles are depleting Earth's resources at a rate far exceeding the natural capacity to replenish, cleanse, and sustain life. This trend can be reversed, and the change begins with each of us.
There are many aspects to gardening and advice abounds, much of it encouraging the use of various poisons, fertilizers. Choices concerning design, plants, and maintenance can make gardening a chore or a joy in life.
