Green Gardening

Gardening is a fun hobby for enthusiasts and novices alike who enjoy the planting, nurturing and harvesting of the fruits of their labors. Imagine a beautiful work of nature that starts from a tiny seed and grows into a beautiful, natural work of art that can provide nutrition for your family and oxygen back into our atmosphere. You can even involve your kids to help you with watering and harvesting for fun family time.

To ensure your gardening efforts are environmentally safe, there are a few factors to consider.

1. Plan – stick to what will grow in the climate and soil you have to work with

2. Care – use rainwater when possible to water your plants and in areas facing drought consider planting things that don’t need a lot of water. Use organic fertilizers instead of manure (pasteurized chicken manure has less odor or a liquid made from fish and seaweed by-products)

3. Control – most of the bugs in your garden are harmless and some are more beneficial than the pesticides you might use to control them. Hang bird feeders or nesting gardens near your garden to have the birds consume the bugs. If necessary, use an insecticidal soap which is hearty enough to kill pests but safe.

4. Share – excess fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers are great to share with friends, family and neighbors. You won’t have wasted a moment of your time or your harvest and others will enjoy your efforts.

5. Recycle – leftover plant waste can be put into a composting bin in your yard to use as fertilizer or mulch for next season’s crop rather than taking up space in a landfill.