Feed the Soil

Traditional guidelines to garden and lawn care teaches us to feed plants.  Of course that is what we need to do but first we need to feed the soil.  This is the way nature does it and it works.  Let’s begin by understanding some basics.  Most of the products out there that are fertilizers are designed to give plants food quickly so you can see immediate results.  The problem is that while you feed your plants with lots of soluble N (nitrogen), P (phosphorius) and K (pottasium), you can kill all of the life in your soil.  Remember Biology 101?  Ameobas and things.  Well, the soil has a ton of these and more – bacteria, fungi, nematodes for example.  All of these microrganisms are designed to feed plants what they need.  They break down organic matter (i.s. leaves) in the soil and they have a whole realtionship with plants that exchanges what they need for what the plants need and everyone is happy.  When we feed the soil, what we are doing is helping the soil support all of these guys so they can support the plants.  When we give plants chemical or synthetic food – we kill the biology in the soil and create a long term dependance for the plants on our food supply – not their natural one.  We make them addicts.  Which is what the big chemical companies want from us so we keep buying their products.  

So what the heck does feed the soil mean?

Feeding the soil means that we put down compost.  Simple.  Good compost has lots of organic matter in it, lots of soil biology and lots of nutrients in it.  These nutrients get broken down by the soil biology and plants get food.  Yes it takes time.  But this is the best way to maintain healthy soil and helathy plants. 

Organic Gardening: The Basics

A look to nature tells us what we have to do organically.  Anyone who walks in a meadow or through the woodlands knows its beauty.  No chemical.  No fertilizers.  Just Mother Nature at her best.  So  let’s study nature and apply the lessons she teaches.  Organic gardening is that simple.  I know.  It seems remarkable that it is that easy.  But trust me.  It is.  Oh….one more thing.  Nature is never never perfect.  No trees lined up in a perfect row.  No expanses of perfect green lawn.  Lots of insects buzzing about and little creatures roaming around.  Imperfection at its absolute finest. Isn’t this what we want in our backyards and gardens?  Of course we do.  We’ve just been a bit distracted that we’ve lost sight of just how easy it is.  Follow me and I’ll give you the tips and secrets to organic gardening.

Why I Adore Helenium

Helenium just happens to be one of my favorite plants and if I have the opportunity to put it in your garden I will. Not only is it adored for its architectural nature by one of my favorite contemporary designers, Piet Oudolf (he redid the gardens in Battery Park, NY), but it feeds the birds all winter and is an absolute gem – seedpods and all. It is a native perennial and there is much to be said for trying to plant something that will tend to make it in our climate and adapt to our conditions. It gets tall (36 – 60″) and can take a bit of shade. If it gets too tall as it did in one of my client’s gardens (see above), we’ ll just cut is back 1/3 in early June and it will bloom later, be bushier and not as tall. Some varieties I love are ‘Canary’, a bright and sunny yellow one (in the garden above), ‘Dancing Flames’, a yellow-orange variety and ‘Moerheim Beauty’, copper red shades of yellow and orange.