Pictures!

So... this is the plot of lawn my parents gave me to try the garden on. It receives good afternoon sun and reflection off the side of the shed. This seems to make the grass grow especially well in this area.

I just covered it over with straw from the edge of the woods; before that, it was just lawn. The wooded area is a perpetual source of nutrients for the garden. Fresh green grass, bits of sticks and rotten logs are good additions to any natural garden. I added a line of stones just to keep the straw from blowing off into the neighbor's yard (they are all for the idea of trying a garden - more lawn is just wasted space).

Natural Gardening

What is a natural garden?

A natural garden is a highly productive field or orchard that resembles a meadow or forest as closely as possible. In a natural garden, the soil remains fertile, diseases, pests and weeds are controlled and crop yields are maximized; nevertheless weeds are still present and insects and furry forest creatures abound.

The effort of the gardener is to progress towards a natural environment as opposed to away from one. There are lots of advantages with this transition. Many of the activities of conventional gardening are going further and further away from natural environments.

I am starting a natural garden on a 400 sq ft plot of lawn and hope you will enjoy the coming pictures this spring!