An Organic Summer Garden Experience
If you have
the time and the inclination to create an organic summer garden
there are few better ways to go when it comes to the potential
impact on the planet. A summer garden is a thing of beauty to be
enjoyed by all you invite into your garden. That being said, there
are certain pests we'd all like to keep out of our gardens as well.
The problem is that the pesticides of the past have undetermined
side effects that have the potential to cause lasting harm. If we
can avoid introducing those chemicals to our own gardens we are
protecting our kids from dangers we may not even be aware of yet
and protecting the other animals that may innocently come in
contact with our gardens such as birds and butterflies from being
harmed by the chemicals present in most common pesticides.
What does this mean to gardeners when it comes to efforts
directed towards keeping out potential pests? Quite honestly, it
means we are going to have to get a little bit creative in those
efforts turning to natural solutions rather than chemicals. One way
in which this can quite easily be accomplished is by encouraging
animals that prey upon the pests to make your garden their home. Of
course, this could potentially bring about its own set of problems
but from a gardening perspective it is often very sound
reasoning.
Use organic mulch. While this isn't necessarily a means of pest
control it is a wise move when it comes to organic gardening. Not
only does the mulch provide the very useful mulching properties
throughout the growing season but once the growing season has ended
can be turned over and used in order to boost the organic material
within the soil. This in turns provides nutrients that are
important to keeping the soil fit for sustaining plant life in
future growing seasons.
Attract birds to your garden. This has a two-fold benefit for
the organic gardener. First of all the birds are often natural
predators for many of the bugs that make a nuisance of themselves
in the average summer garden. Second, birds leave behind their own
little fertilizing additions to the landscape of your garden. Don't
you wish all solutions were this simple?
Keep your garden healthy, well fertilized, watered regularly and
appropriately, and free of weeds. A good offense is the best
defense. A good immune system and constant hand washing are the
best defense the human body has against catching colds and viruses.
The same holds true for gardens and their ability to fight pests.
Keep your garden strong and healthy and it will repel many of the
pests that may cripple other gardens on its own. It certainly
doesn't hurt anything to keep this philosophy in mind and you may
be amazed at how well it works.
Organic
gardening is more than a plan for your garden it is a return to the
ways of old in the world of gardening. For centuries before
pesticides were created man managed to live off the abundance of
his gardens. It makes sense that by returning to those ideals we
can also enjoy great food and a bountiful harvest in the modern
world. Make the choice today to make your summer garden an organic
garden and reap the benefit in better health and greater enjoyment
of the gardening process.
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