No one knows any better than my six and four year old daughters that their Daddy has a sense of humor. I love to laugh, but even more, I love my children's laughter!
Unfortunately life, as we all know, is not always funny. These days changes are flying at us at hurricane speeds. Sometimes they flatten us, and sometimes they just leave us feeling shaken. One place that the pace of the world slows down is out in the garden. It is there that stress ebbs out of my body.
Organic gardening is a passion for many of us. The heartfelt desire to work in harmony with nature is an automatic and natural response. And no, It's not a tree hugging, "go green," faddish attitude, it's a lifelong delight. It's an increased awareness of the symbiotic relationship we have with plants, animals, and the environment. And, of course, our fellow man.
In my articles about soil and composting, I frequently ask, "What's soil fertility?" The most accurate answer is: "Soil that has life! The life in our soil is the micro-organisms that trigger plant growth. The official starting point for successful organic growing is soil fertility. If the soil is dead, then all your efforts to grow anything are in vain.
It's my belief that when someone begins journeying down the road of Organics, they, whatever their motivation, begin to experience a more acute perception of the myriad details life encompasses, and how each life relates to its surrounding world. Some people say that gardening helps them put life in perspective. When I'm working with my roses, building a new raised bed, or cleaning out the worm farm, I experience paradoxical moods--the work calms me, yet stimulates me. The cares and concerns that have been burdening just seem to slip off my shoulders. The tension in my neck eases, and my back has now had a good stretch and the ache went away. Heady scents assail my nose, and once again I am awed and inspired by nature.
At that point I can identify with what my ancestors must have felt as they worked the fields or tended herds. A connection you could easily describe as "spiritual" or, at the least "contemplative." During those moments I am in harmony with creation. It's a balm for a weary heart.
I invite you to think of organic gardening as the flip side of asking. For all our incessant talk about ourselves and the things we would like, need, and gotta have, we should carve out time to do some listening, from a higher source than self.
What the future holds is a great unknown but I have to admit, It's a good feeling knowing that a garden will feed my family in tough economic conditions. My message is simple: anybody can be an organic gardener! I believe that anyone can develop a green thumb because anyone can understand what natural means. So just give it a go: read, learn, and plant something -- even if you only have for one container. Let me encourage you, spring is the perfect time to begin your 'awe inspiring' journey and enjoy natural stress relief.
