Grow Your Sustainable and Organic Gardening Knowledge

It seems obvious that gardens would be sustainable. After all they’re teeming with plant life, and what’s green has got to be good, right? Well, maybe…

Sustainability means that, as we meet our needs today, we ensure genertions to come can meet theirs as well. It’s a pretty fundamental and logical ethic for conducting ourselves!

So, how do our gardens measure up? If you’re going organic by avoiding the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, that’s certainly a good start. But gardening sustainably goes beyond the avoidance of chemicals, to taking a whole systems approach and being deliberate about choices each step of the way.

1. Right from the start

Does it really matter where your seeds, bedding plants, or shrubs come from if your plan is to raise them organically once you get them? If they haven’t been adapted to a climate like your own or chosen for diverse traits, they’re not apt to thrive without undue coddling or chemicals. And remember, we’re thinking big picture here. Are huge tracts of sprayed seed stock or a few giant companies entrusted with seed genetics really sustainable sources?

Quick win

Prolific gardening author and columnist Marjorie Harris warns it’s a waste of money to buy cheap plants—quality sources will pay off in the end. But that doesn’t mean you can’t stick to a budget by getting perennial cuttings from a neighbor or attending a local seed swap.

Go long

Save some of your own seeds from year to year and create locally adapted varieties.


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