I Don't Have A Green Thumb

If gardening doesn't call to you, sing to you, leave you feeling content and happy... then chances are it's not your thing and therefore you don't or won't have a green thumb.


Gardening is much like parenting (some are good at it and some are not).  If you don't water and feed and nurture your plants they'll die of neglect.  Of if you over indulge your plants and give them too much water they'll drown in your love.  If you pay your garden or plants attention often and interact with them regularly they will thrive.

However, here is some good news for all you brown thumbs: in a forest no one is watering, feeding and nurturing those plants and yet forests flourish.

Why?

Forests have their own self care methods that keep them thriving even in the most harshest of conditions.  Take Australian bush for example, usually growing in hot and arid conditions with little rain fall.

I view gardening much the same way.  I plant shrubs and trees that require relatively small amounts of attention.  In fact I usually plant my plants and leave them to see which ones grown well all by themselves.  If they die they weren't meant to be there and I try something else.  Then I grow the smaller more needy plants around them in conditions that suit their needs.

For example the ferns are planted along the south side of the house, along the wall of the house to give them plenty of shade and a moist ground.  The succulents are planted along the north of the house because they need zero attention.  Along the east of the house are the vegetable gardens because they need lots of sun to grow plenty of produce.  I move plants around too if they look like they're suffering and in need of more sun or more shade.  As for the plants that are in full sun for most of the time but not necessarily sun loving, the larger trees give them shade and protection.

Just like a forest it is rare for any green matter leave my property.  It is all used in biodynamic ways.

Branches and leaves from pruned trees are placed around the base of the tree to give back and feed the plant from which they came.  Weeds are tossed into garden beds because they absorbed nutrients from the ground that I want to keep and give back to my plants.  A large raised garden planter serves as a compost bin in which food scraps and excess garden waste is tossed including egg shells which feed my garden calcium.  Any excess plant matter I cannot fit into the compost bin (because the matter is too large or the bin is full) I burn and then use as potash on garden beds - such as potatoes, peas, beans and lettuce which love potash.

These are just a few tips and tricks of the 'trade' and I'm happy to share.  If you have any questions let me know.