As we enter the holiday season, there is a pervasive joy derived from giving and receiving. Even the grumpiest of people, deep down, cannot deny the warm feelings of giving to others. This season, let us reflect and commit to giving back to the earth and our communities through gardening. Our gardeners give back to the community by donating from their gardens and volunteering for our programs; when designing here on-site, we give back to nature in every plant choice.
“We may think we are nurturing our garden, but of course it’s our garden that is really nurturing us.”
~ Jenny Uglow
When shopping for seeds or plants for the coming growing season, consider how you can utilize your plants as a pathway for giving. Will the plant produce food for wildlife, whether insect, bird, mammal, or reptile? Will it produce forage for humans, as we too are part of nature? And not to be ignored as just a whim, will it be beautiful? Though beauty may not be a priority to fauna, it is nourishing and rejuvenating for the human soul.
Additionally, a beautiful garden depends on plant diversity for continuous bloom and color in the growing season and foliage and berries in winter; with good design in mind, it inherently provides much of what nature needs regardless of beauty. In closing, truly think of your place in nature as a human who has chosen to garden, to nurture, and to give back.
Happy holidays and happy gardening in 2023!
From the Desk of Bennett Dowling, 577 Organic Garden Landscape Horticulturist
