Urban Garden

This backyard urban garden of mine is becoming a mini conservation area. A typical city lot which had only sand for soil. And with time and effort some weed pulling in a lot of dirt under the nails, we have transformed it. To be filled in abundance with a diversity of plants and animals had to start with the soil. Soil building is messy, doesn't always look very pretty, requires time, some sweaty effort, contributions from community and the living results are stunning! Efforts today bring on a future filled with colorful rich diversity, peace filled contentment, and joyful aliveness.

 

To transform a sterile landscape to a fully alive, thriving area - eliminating old systemic landscape ideas - grass, which has little food value, uses a lot of water and chemicals and instead replace it with native, natural plants; using noisy fossil fuel tool polluters - mowers, weed eaters or to just let the natural plants grow. My mowing is done with a reel mower, the clippings from pruning used as mulch, pulling some of the 'weeds' dropping them where they grow and letting some just be. The more natural efforts are less time and resources consuming and have transformed the soil of sand into a rich soil with a layer of dark organic matter. My friends have added their input of coffee grounds and such to enrich the soil too. A community of efforts that reveals itself every spring with an abundance of fruit, flowers and aliveness flying or fluttering about. Witnessing the transformation of a small area of space moved from survival to thriving is miraculous.

 

The day by day experience is a bit more challenging. A constant rhythmic movement to the season and timing which was not my own helps to slow my quick life's pace. This natural area, behind the hard concrete buildings and paths, is safe and soft underfoot. The area glistens with light, song, and peace. Neighbors and friends enjoy the gardens fruiting abundance, and the breeze and peace filters through what the soils richness nourishes.