by Ingrid Justick:

Vol. 28, No. 3

Creating an organic garden means fulfilling a longing for nature, for beauty, for self-expression, and for the simple act of growing – both within ourselves and our land. In organic gardening, we can invent our own beautiful world, a miniature paradise that gives abundant joy to us and everyone who visits. When gardening, we slow down, breathe deeply, and cultivate patience. Following are some timesaving suggestions:

Plant Choices: Most gardeners grow the flowers they consider most beautiful and vegetables that are most tasty, but if you want a garden to be easy, also consider how much effort particular plants require. Some of the lowest maintenance garden plants are perennials. But since perennials only bloom for one or two months each season, add easy-to-grow annuals including begonias, impatiens, marigolds, and petunias. These annuals will bloom all summer.

Native Plants: The easiest plants to grow in your garden are those that grow native in your region. The non-profit organization, Native Plant Society of New Jersey (www.npsnj.org) offers lists of regional native plants..

Roses: Difficult to grow, but Conrad Pyle’s Knock Out Roses are easy to grow and resistant to diseases and insects and require no toxic chemicals to preserve their beauty. 

Tomatoes: Easy to grow but select a variety resistant to disease and insects common in your area. Call your local agricultural extension office and ask which tomato plants they recommend.

Plant Some Herbs: They are almost care free, but very rarely develop a disease and their beautiful scents attract butterflies to your garden. 

Some of the following techniques take time to implement early in the season, but they pay off in time saved later:

🙫  Add a 2-inch layer of compost to your garden and mix it with your soil to a depth of about 4 inches before you plant. Nutrients in compost create a stronger, healthier plant that is better able to fend off diseases and pests. If possible, make your own compost. 

🙫  Snake a soaker hose through your garden and let it weep water from its tiny holes to your plants for a few hours a day. This saves time from watering by hand. Bury the hose about 1-2 inches beneath the soil. 

🙫  To save time try rollout paper much to keep out weeds, which compete with your plants for water and soil nutrients. You do not have to remove rollout paper mulch in the autumn; it deteriorates into the soil.

🙫   Most insects are beneficial to plants and those that cause problems tend to harm only one plant species. Grow a wide variety of plants and if insects claim one or two, eliminate those plants next year, or look for a variety resistant to that pest.

May your organic garden be a healthy experience 
for yourself and your environment.

by Ingrid Justick:

Vol. 28, No. 2

Climate change is probably the greatest threat our earth has to face. Unless we take significant action to reduce global warming, we will face more frequent and severe weather extremes, the expansion of invasive pests and diseases, the disruption of the ecosystem and the extinction of thousands of species. As gardeners, we are guardians of our environment and there are many simple and thoughtful ways we can work with nature to solve problems.

It may still be winter, but perhaps you can make some changes in your plans for spring. Through the following actions, we can make an enormous difference in our gardens.

ELIMINATE LAWN AND GARDEN PESTICIDES and you prevent highly toxic chemicals form being released into rivers, streams and ground water. Just one ounce of diazinon can pollute 94 million gallons of water. Use natural methods of pest control. Use organic fertilizers.

IMPROVE ENERGY EFFICIENCY by replacing outdoor light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, installing outdoor automatic light timers and purchasing solar-powered garden products. Encourage local home and garden centers to carry energy efficient products. Reduce the use of gasoline-powered garden tools. Use electric or human-powered tools, such as push mowers, hand clippers and rakes. Consider replacing some of your lawn with low maintenance ground cover or native wildflowers. Plant with heirloom seeds. Increase biodiversity and attract butterflies to your garden.

REDUCE WATER CONSUMPTION. Actions include mulching, installing rain barrels, adjusting your watering schedule and using drip-irrigation. You can save six gallons of water every minute of watering by attaching a trigger nozzle to your garden hose. To reduce water pollution, develop a rain garden, which captures storm water runoff from heavy downpours and helps prevent it from entering into local lakes, streams and coastal waters.

COMPOST KITCHEN AND GARDEN WASTES. It reduces your contribution to global warming, especially methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas. Compost provides excellent nutrients for your garden, reducing the need for fertilizers, which pollute water supplies and consume much energy to produce.

PLANTING TREES near your home can shield it form hot sun in the summer and cold winds in winter, reducing energy use for air conditioning and heating. Trees and plants absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas responsible for climate change.

Let us all contribute to an abundant and healthful life
on our beautiful planet Earth.