February 20th, 2008

Get Green with Organic Gardening

Posted by Jessica Jensen

Today we are joined by Christy Wilhelmi, who is the driving force behind Gardenerd.com, a wonderful resource for gardeners. Her obsession with gardening began in 1996 on the balcony of her Los Angeles apartment. She is a member of Ocean View Farms Organic Community Garden in Mar Vista, California and has served on the Board of Directors for the last 8 years. She has dedicated herself to the study of organic gardening and its benefits, and delights in sharing this information with anyone who will listen. Today she educates on the joys and environmental benefits of organic gardening. Be sure to read to the end to learn about her gardening classes!

**********

We live in a world where most people don’t know where their food comes from. It’s not uncommon to find folks who don’t know the answer when asked where peanuts or potatoes grow (both grow underground). There’s nothing wrong with not knowing, except that by not knowing, we often make choices that don’t serve the planet or our bodies. Organic gardening changes all that.

Once you get into organic gardening, there’s no going back. Suddenly another world of awareness opens up. You’ve heard about buying organic, buying locally grown foods and using non-toxic cleaners in your home. Extending those concepts out into the yard goes a step further. Let me tell you what I mean.

Locavores Unite: You just can’t get more “local” than eating food grown in your own back yard or on your patio. You also can’t get food fresher than that. No truck needed.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: What doesn’t get eaten gets composted, and becomes food for your garden, or your worms (if you have a worm bin). And when you grow something yourself, you’re less likely to waste it. A new appreciation for broccoli stems has been known to happen.

Biodiversity Rules: In the grand scheme of things, our modern grocery industry provides us with a total average of 27 fruits and vegetables. Every store carries the same variety of melon or tomato or what have you. With over 300 varieties of tomatoes alone available to the home gardener, you can help provide diversity for pollinators (insects) and humans alike.

Get Off Petroleum: Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are some of the biggest polluters in the world, in more ways than one. Not only do they leach down into the soil and contaminate our waterways, they also are made by using petroleum. And the U.S. is the number one importer of fertilizers in the world. It takes a little learning to know what’s organic and what’s not (especially these days with the loosening of organic standards by our government), but it’s totally worth the investment of time in the end. To find some good organic fertilizers, click here.

Grow Your Soul: This might sound crazy, but there nothing like a good weeding session in the garden to work out all your frustrations, develop inventions, and most of all, feel connected to the earth.  Gandhi said, “To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves.”  When we think about how often we walk the earth without ever touching it, the comforting thought that a solution lies in the soil, right outside our door (or in that pot), is a saving grace for all of us.

Whether you grow organic food or flowers (another industry tainted by chemical pesticides and fertilizers) you are stepping forward lightly upon the earth. It’s one more way to close the loop and promote a better future for plants, insects, soil, and humankind.
**************
To learn more about organic gardening, why not take one of Christy’s classes?

The Gardenerd Organic Gardening Series

Finally there is a set of basic organic gardening classes that is suitable for both the beginning gardener and the veteran gardener who wants to learn organic methods. Christy Wilhelmi of Gardenerd.com will be covering the following topics:

   +  Soil, Soil amendments and Fertilizers

   +  Small space and Container Gardening

   +  Seed-starting, Transplants and Heirlooms

   +  Pruning, Tools and Tool Care

 

Classes begin February 23, 2008.  Details about upcoming classes and registration can be found at http://www.gardenerd.com/classpay.html.  Space is limited and registration is required. Visit www.Gardenerd.com for more tips and tidbits about organic gardening.

Popularity: 1% [?]