Organic Mutant

We have a little plot of land here in our semi-urban little neighborhood where we plant flowers, mulch, weed, and water. Over the years our garden has changed from a pretty generic suburban landscape of grass, cement, a few trees, and ordinary plants to something more organic and interesting.

Growing up, in every house we ever lived in, our parents would reinvent each yard. From pulling out thoughtlessly planted trees and uninspired landscaping to replacing fences, lawns, and flowering plants Mom and Dad always had a vision of what a quaint, charming yard should look like. Included in that vision was an idea that we as children and teenagers would have chores and responsibilities in moving each yard closer to their vision. Rick has mowed many lawns in his day, perhaps that is why he prefers the urban symphony to the suburban ;). I too have had many opportunities to learn at the hands of Ma and Pa. I have weeded many flower beds, planted many annuals, and removed many shrubs, bushes, ground cover, and small trees in my day. In my post-college days as gypsy I have had many plants in pots that i dragged from residence to residence. I still have plants in pots (old habits die hard), but in the last five years I have also stuck my hands into the earth and played with our yard to create new vistas, vantages, and habitats.

We spent this morning in the yard, plucking weeds, planting new plants, and generally arranging. Lucas is more interested in moving dirt than in gardening per se, but for about 45 minutes he sat on my lap while I worked around him. We would point out interesting things to each other. Today we saw red-breasted nuthatches and other songbirds, hummingbirds, bees, worms, roly-polies, centipedes, slugs, snails, spiders, grubs, beetles, lots of very small bugs, a lizard, and wasps. Each time Lucas was fascinated, but in the case of the bugs apprehensive.

One thing (of many) that years of eating organic has taught me is that pesticides are overused. We never use pesticides in our yard. We rely on the natural balance of insect predators and prey to keep our garden beautiful. Thus far it has worked, but it does take some effort of our own to keep things from getting unsightly. This year of composting has shown me is that bugs are good. So when I see all the diversity of the bug life, it reinforces my commitment to not using pesticides.

Years ago when being awakened early on Saturday morning to work in the yard “before it gets hot” if you had told me that I would have a garden of my own someday and enjoy working in it, I would have thought you insane, but i have to say that now as Lucas gets older I feel a sense of anticipation at introducing him to the wonders of gardening. It is a pleasure that is relatively inexpensive, creates value and beauty, and connects you to the natural world even in an urban environment. Gardening in all its forms is an active endeavor that although not highly respected is vital for our survival. One goal for this year is to try my hand at vegetable gardening in order to lessen my impact on the environment and to give Lucas the opportunity to labor for his own benefit.

In the last few months we’ve added some new elements that are encouraging me to focus on the yard more. They include: a fountain, a bird feeder, a real wind chime i.e. not the little tinny ones from the drugstore, but the more melodic (and expensive) ones. These few elements have added a new dimension to the yard. The running water adds peace in spite of the traffic noises, the bird feeder fills our yard with birds and occupies us for hours as we gaze at them and enjoy their songs, and the chimes are very subtle, but add harmony to the chaos of life in the semi-urban symphony.