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Why gardens are better than factories

The new green is brown. What does that mean? It means that green is only a feel good concept that certain groups like to use to show that they care about their environment. The problem is it doesn't have any teeth. Brown is real. It deals with the muck and the mire that comes along with tending the earth.

When I lived on the west coast, I watched the gardeners haul away the yard clippings every week from homes all over the metro from San Diego to Santa Barbara. Those same home owners hauled bag after bag of mulch, potting soil, peat moss, chemicals, super food, you name it, back to their homes to keep their beautiful landscapes up to par with the Joneses.

I would prefer to turn my yard trimmings into compost, a natural substance that has many of the nutrients that plants need. Similar to what you might find at the home center. Buying at the home center adds a lot of carbon when using a vehicle to move the product. Oh yes, and the truck that delivered the product added some carbon. Oh yes, and the factory that made the compost added some carbon. Oh yeah, and the people that drove to work at the factory (this is the sticky part) added some carbon. This is starting to feel like a SNL gag. Every aspect of the factory is based on continual consumption of resources.

Think about it. There is a lot of energy required to make anything.

Farming these days is of a scale beyond comprehension. The machines that make it happen cost millions. But even with all the machinery and technology, they still cannot produce a healthy product. I have been learning how to grow different types of plants, trees and vegetables for many years now. The biggest problem for me has been weeds and unwanted grass. I'm still developing techniques to reduce the weed problem. The next problem is water. I use a small rubber lined pond to catch rain water. When the pond is dry I use city water. The greatest thing happened several years ago. The city opened a collection site for residents to dispose of their grass and leaves. Then the city turns it into compost - free for the taking. That cuts down on tons of mulch, soil conditioner, and potting soil from the home center. So this stuff was made local and traveled only a few miles vs. hundreds (or thousands) of miles. Of course it's not good for the home center's business but hey, sustainability has to take priority over endless, mindless, and never ending growth. For what reason is growth mandated? Fat cats, that's what. Fat cats that have an insatiable love for money.

I envision a community of gardeners working together with technology and nature to grow good tasting and nutritious food. I am not an expert at growing food. But every year I try something new or different. I make mistakes and learn a lot. I am amazed at the way the plants grow. I give them plenty of compost and soak them with lots of water. Then I let them dry out because the roots can rot from too much water. Five years ago I ate some cherries and threw the seeds in a flower bed. A lot of the seeds grew into trees. I moved one and let it grow. Last year it gave me one cherry. The first one. Maybe this year will be better. Back on the west coast, I grew a papaya tree. I got fruit after three years.

Two years ago I started some asparagus from seed. Only two or three survived. I hope to have some asparagus to eat in another two years. Artichoke plants come back each year but they don't have enough time to flower. Corn gets worms so you have to pick them young before it is eaten by the worm.

I avoid removing yard cuttings whenever possible. This stuff will decompose in about 9 months if it gets enough water. I cut branches into pieces 6 inches or smaller. I keep vines like tomatoes or melons seperate or just dispose of them because they make a tangled mess (unless you cut them up).

The homeless are the true conservatives. They demand nothing.

We need to take steps to work and live intelligently, not blindly.

Collection center for yard waste
Regrowing forests and gardens
Home garden
Vegetable garden
Fruit garden
School garden
Greenhouse technology
Heating and cooling technology
Passive system
Recycling
Human power generator