Gardening
My favorite subject! Is there not anything more magical than planting a little seed in the soil, watering it, and watching it grow into so many different things! Delicious fruit trees, savory vegetables, and all the gorgeous flowers on this earth. It’s always so wonderous and so satisfying to watch this happen. I love the process so much from selecting what will go into the garden, arranging and designing a beautiful landscape, daily fresh air while you work and get your hands dirty, seeing the first little hairs pop out of the soil, to seeing the final result of all your hard work. It brings together creativity and science. I get so excited every year!
I had many good teachers along the way. And I am so thankful and grateful to each one of them. And I even got the opportunity to earn a 2 yr. certification in landscape design.
Along with the passion for this hobby, I truly think it is one of the most valued skills on the planet. I think it should be taught in schools to the children around the world. I also think if you have a window sill, an inside shelf with lighting, a deck, a porch, or any space in a garden or backyard, you should grow food. I think schools, cities, counties, states and countries should grow free food for their citizens. No one should go hungry. Fruits and vegetables should be subsidized by governments, not meat and dairy. Growing anything….fruits, vegetables, flowers, bushes, or trees is so good for this planet, great for the animals, and wonderful for us! It’s a win, win, win!
If you are a beginner, find any container (can be a paper cup or bowl) and put some drainage holes in the bottom. Put something to catch the water at the bottom…a plate, saucer, another container, etc. Fill the inside container with soil. It can be any natural soil or bought soil from the store. Place any seed you can find…one from a fruit, or vegetable packet, etc. Put the seed in the soil. Give it some water, light and time. Check on it daily to see that it has enough water. Then see if it grows! Every time you do this, you will learn something new. Maybe you need to water more, water less, put the seed into more or less light, maybe it needs a different type of soil. You can read about growing anything online and learn what each plant needs. The more you learn, the better you will get at growing things. This skill will serve you in so many ways. It provides the best food in the world for the cheapest price. It can beautify your home. It adds fresh oxygen to your house and the world. And it can provide food and shelter for wild life too. I always make sure to share a little with all the woodland creatures. It’s fun to watch them discover your garden, eat, and scurry off with something good for their families. It’s also very rewarding to eat something from your own garden that you grew yourself.
Composting is an important concept. Taking organic fruit and vegetable scraps, safe grass cuttings, safe leaves, etc. Even some paper items. Putting them into a compost pile, churning them every few days or so, and letting it become dark, rich soil to add to your pots and garden is a great way to enrich your soil and provide your plants with the nutrition they need. In turn, you get more nutritious food from your garden for your own body. Over time, you can turn your soil into better and better growing medium for all your plants. Also, it reduces waste that goes into the garbage.
Choosing to not use poisons and sprays on your plants and land will result in better health for humans and animals, and better soil, air, and water for the earth. If you have problems with pests, molds, or mildews, always research the most natural way to solve the problem. Improving your soils and watering the appropriate amount usually prevents most problems from happening in the first place.