Random thoughts from the garden

mr_gentleman · February 25, 2012

Gardening without use of pesticides/herbicides (ok, I sprayed BT once so not completely "without") has taught me many valuable lessons. The most valuable lesson I believe I have learned thus far is humility and a respect for what nature can provide and take away. I feel as if I am a steward of my 10' x 10' land and the only control I have over it is the effort I put into it. I feel I am lucky that I can garden as a hobby and that my success or failure does not dictate my existence or livelyhood, but as a caveat, I would love to advance my knowledge of nature and reach a point where I could garden to sustain myself without the crutch of the grocery store (idealism

)

I would love to hear anybody else's thoughts on what gardening/farming has taught them, how it makes them feel, or just random thoughts in general....I guess I just had one of those "philosophical" days.

bughunter99 · February 26, 2012

It has taught me that I do not have to add packaged, bottled and canned stuff to the soil and to my plants to have great success. The closer I get to mimicking a natural environment the healthier my produce, the lower my costs and the more satisfying the process is as a whole.

It has also me that studying up is good, but not to be afraid to push the boundaries of the zones, and the rules. This sometimes leads to spectacular failures but when the successes happen they are that much sweeter.

Stacy

livinonfaith · February 26, 2012

It has taught me that my Grandfather's skill in growing food is not an inherited gift! It takes a lot of work, knowledge and some luck.

Can't say how many times I've lovingly tended a plant, gotten it to the point that it is ready to produce fruit, (sometimes within a day of harvest) and then it is all gone. A storm, a pest, a disease, some miscalculation of additives and it's just gone. That doesn't count all of the seeds I've started that never made it to the adult stage.

Already this season I've had fungus gnats, spider mites, some seeds that haven't developed properly and a mouse in the greenhouse. And it's only February.

As an aside, doesn't "A Mouse in the Greenhouse" sound like a great children's book? You could have the little guy running around digging up seeds and munching on all of the greenhouse lady's beautiful veggies. (Just like the one in my greenhouse) He could hide from the greenhouse lady and make a cozy little nest somewhere where he can read little mouse books and sit in his little mouse furniture.

My favorite part would be where the adorable mouse dies a painful death in a trap and the lady who owns the greenhouse is very happy and dumps his little body in the back yard.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. I've found that despite all of the uncertainty of gardening, when you get it right it is one of the best feelings in the world.

February 25, 2012	#1
mr_gentleman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Corona, CA Posts: 29	Random thoughts from the garden Gardening without use of pesticides/herbicides (ok, I sprayed BT once so not completely "without") has taught me many valuable lessons. The most valuable lesson I believe I have learned thus far is humility and a respect for what nature can provide and take away. I feel as if I am a steward of my 10' x 10' land and the only control I have over it is the effort I put into it. I feel I am lucky that I can garden as a hobby and that my success or failure does not dictate my existence or livelyhood, but as a caveat, I would love to advance my knowledge of nature and reach a point where I could garden to sustain myself without the crutch of the grocery store (idealism ) I would love to hear anybody else's thoughts on what gardening/farming has taught them, how it makes them feel, or just random thoughts in general....I guess I just had one of those "philosophical" days. __________________ "A man's interest in a single bluebird is worth more than a complete but dry list of the fauna and flora of a town. "

February 26, 2012	#2
bughunter99 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: zone 5 Posts: 821	It has taught me that I do not have to add packaged, bottled and canned stuff to the soil and to my plants to have great success. The closer I get to mimicking a natural environment the healthier my produce, the lower my costs and the more satisfying the process is as a whole. It has also me that studying up is good, but not to be afraid to push the boundaries of the zones, and the rules. This sometimes leads to spectacular failures but when the successes happen they are that much sweeter. Stacy

February 26, 2012	#3
livinonfaith Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina Posts: 1,332	It has taught me that my Grandfather's skill in growing food is not an inherited gift! It takes a lot of work, knowledge and some luck. Can't say how many times I've lovingly tended a plant, gotten it to the point that it is ready to produce fruit, (sometimes within a day of harvest) and then it is all gone. A storm, a pest, a disease, some miscalculation of additives and it's just gone. That doesn't count all of the seeds I've started that never made it to the adult stage. Already this season I've had fungus gnats, spider mites, some seeds that haven't developed properly and a mouse in the greenhouse. And it's only February. As an aside, doesn't "A Mouse in the Greenhouse" sound like a great children's book? You could have the little guy running around digging up seeds and munching on all of the greenhouse lady's beautiful veggies. (Just like the one in my greenhouse) He could hide from the greenhouse lady and make a cozy little nest somewhere where he can read little mouse books and sit in his little mouse furniture. My favorite part would be where the adorable mouse dies a painful death in a trap and the lady who owns the greenhouse is very happy and dumps his little body in the back yard. Anyway, back to the topic at hand. I've found that despite all of the uncertainty of gardening, when you get it right it is one of the best feelings in the world.