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Rooftop succulents at the Macoskey Center
Do you think you're a sustainable gardener? We hear a lot about sustainable agriculture, and businesses big and small are using sustainable practices to be more environmentally conscious, going so far as to plant greens on the roofs of their buildings. But how does it apply to the average backyard gardener? What does it mean to say, "I'm a sustainable gardener"?
Organic gardening is in these days; it's no wonder considering the food contamination problems we've seen recently. If we know our food is grown without the use of man-made fertilizers or chemical sprays, it lessens the chances of anything nasty getting into our digestive tracts. Organic gardeners do all their gardening without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Is this sustainable gardening? You bet.
When I attended Slippery Rock University I'd visit the Macoskey Center every so often. Thomas Reynolds, director of the Center's Sustainable Systems Education and Research would take the time to show me around the gardens, which allowed me the chance to pick up a few tips. Thomas says they've been doing things organically there for at least 15 years. Bugs, those that are feasting on things, are usually handpicked or shot with a stream of water, compost is used for fertilizer, and mulching is accomplished with leaves or corrugated cardboard. Is this sustainable gardening? Yes ma'am.
It seems there's a write-up about community-supported agriculture (CSA) in the big city papers almost weekly. In her research for the article "Cutting Out the Middlemen, Shoppers Buy Slices of Farms" (The New York Times, July 10, 2008) Susan Saulny found that CSAs have increased in number from around 100 farms in the 1990s, to almost 1500 today. I don't think the increase has anything to do with folks discovering that farming is fun; it's because they want to know their tomatoes and lettuce is safe to eat. Is community supported agriculture sustainable gardening? Yes, on a large scale.
The high cost of gas, rising food prices, the economic crisis, and global warming signal all of us to do what we can as gardeners and non-gardeners to help sustain a healthy planet Earth. It may not seem like all that much in the grand scheme of things, but when a whole bunch of folks do a little less mowing, eating, and driving, it adds up in a big way.
Sustainable Gardening Tips
- Thomas Reynolds said, "Just do it!" when I asked him about composting. For your free "Composting: A Beginner's Guide" booklet, visit the Macoskey Center in Slippery Rock, or send a check or money order for $1.50 to: The Macoskey Center Composting Booklet, Attn: Thomas Reynolds, 247 Harmony Road, Slippery Rock, PA 16057
- The Macoskey Center also offers organic gardening workshops in the spring and plots in their community garden can be rented (call the Center at 724-738-4050).
- With all the leaves and grass surrounding our houses, you might be able to cut back on the amount of store-bought mulch. Mow over leaves several times, rake them and grass clippings to use as mulch.
- Cut back on watering and mowing. Instead of your regular mowing routine, skip one or two and let your grass just grow. Save on water by using mulch, and growing more succulents such as hens and chicks or sedums
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