Reflections on Nature

There are things that happen in the garden and our world that are not always able to be explained.

Reflections on Nature... goes deep.

Sometimes, it just stills the mind long enough for some deep reflections, and sometimes it makes us laugh.

Some reflections for you...

Artificial fertilisers

What is one of the reasons for the scary scenario of fish supplies dwindling and finally collapsing in roughly 40 years time?

The prediction is there will be too many people and too little fish. Surprisingly sustainable farming and gardening management using natural means without artificial fertilisers and their lethal runoffs will make a difference. Find out why here

Converting to organics

Many farmers and gardeners that practise conventional growing with tilling, chemicals and monoculture are either stuck in inertia or too stubborn to change to a more sustainable way.

Why is this? It is clear that the biggest hurdle is in their heads. They really don't know how to manage the transition and whether their plants and crops will suffer. Read why here

Genetically engineered words

The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing ONE letter, and supply a new definition. From the long list of winners, here are a few that could apply to organic gardeners:

# Decafalon (n): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

# Arachnoleptic fit (n): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

# Beelzebug (n): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

# Caterpallor (n): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.

But... Q. What's worse than finding a worm in an apple?
A. Finding half a worm.

The world digs the no-dig gardening way

Did you know that no-till (farming version of no-dig), organic soil can sequest CO²?

It's the secret solution to global warming, and this land based carbon cycle works like this: Carbon is taken out of the atmosphere by plants and converted to organic matter through photosynthesis. The oxygen in the molecules is released back to the air and the carbon becomes part of the plants' structure and eventually the soil.

A 23-year comparable study by the Rodale Institute in Pennsylvania clearly demonstrates that land farmed organically through methods like no-till and winter cover crops, absorbs 30% more CO² than conventionally farmed land.

Not only does this no-till method help retain soil organic matter and therefore carbon, less tillage also decreases emissions of CO² from farm machinery since the equipment makes fewer runs over the field.

In other words, sustainable farming practices not only protect crops better against the weather fluctuations of global warming, but also over time allow yields to improve.

It's all documented here

We can learn from the bees and ants

A single ant or bee isn't smart, but their colonies are. The study of swarm intelligence is providing insights that can help humans manage complex systems.

In fact, almost any group that follows the bees' rules will make itself smarter, says James Surowiecki, author of The Wisdom of Crowds.

Ants, too, look confident, like they have a plan and know where they are going. But ants aren't clever little engineers, architects, or warriors after all — at least not as individuals. When it comes to deciding what to do next, most ants don't have a clue.

How do we explain, then, the success of Earth's 12,000 or so known ant species? They must have learned something in 140 million years.

Read more on: The Genius of Swarms

Vegetable Nutrition

There is an assumption within us all that if we eat our vegetables, all of them... we will be receiving all the vitamins and minerals that we need for good health.

Maybe, maybe not. A UK study has shown a decline in mineral values of store bought vegetables of approximately 40% since the 1930's and 1940's.

Here there is access to the article and a compelling exchange I had with Matthew Adams of the Good Gardeners Association UK.

Read it here

Gardening by the Moon

According to plenty of people, it can. The phases of the moon affect the oceans and even the behaviour of people... so why not your plants?

Read more about it here


Science Can't Explain Everything!

You will know that if you have spent at least some time reflecting on the world around you, some things cannot be explained in purely scientific terms. Armies of scientists and researchers swarm in labs around the world trying to take the mystery out of every bit of wonder we witness.

This article explores the mystery of companion planting and plant dowsing in the vegetable garden. Read it here


Jeannie's Garden

A friend of mine, who lives on the outskirts of Melbourne Victoria (Australia) is a committed eco-gardener. She walks the walk AND talks the talk. So I was interested when she recently wrote to me about her gardening efforts.

"I'm finally making some progress on the garden. This house sits on an acre of land and I wondered how I would ever tame it. It was a traditional set up with lawn front and back, garden beds and concrete paths. I think it's saving grace for me was the small orchard out the back which provided plenty of food for the local wildlife."

This is a simple and uplifting story about how one woman is making a difference in her neighbourhood using no dig gardening methods.
Read it here

Ecological Gardening

Just what is ecological gardening?

The organic gardening movement has been going since the 1920's and really, it's about remembering how we used to farm food before we discovered chemical fertilisers, pesticides and preservatives.

A sense of powerlessness can paralyse if a problem seems too large. How do we fix land degradation with just a vegetable patch? You would be surprised. What you do on your patch of the earth does make a difference. And growing organic is the first, giant leap. Read the whole article here

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