How Does Your Garden Grow? A Question for God's Environmental Stewards

Linda B. Rimer, Environmental Stewardship Committee Chair

How often have we heard the phrase about March winds and April showers bringing beautiful May flowers? We are fortunate here in central North Carolina that we do not have to wait until May for beautiful flowers. Hellebores, quince, and sweet smell of spring treat us with their beauty and fragrance, sometimes as early as January. By March, wild flowers are popping up in meadows and forests, perennial gardens are sending up new shoots and gardeners are standing in the check-out lines of home and garden centers, eager to get home and plant the newest additions to our gardens.

This couldn't be a better time to examine our gardening practices and make sure they are environmentally friendly and protective of Earth's resources, God's creation. How we garden - from the techniques we use; to the flowers, grass, and vegetables we select to plant; to the locations we choose for planting; to the products we use - have many implications for the environment.

While an in-depth description of environmentally friendly gardening practices is clearly beyond the scope of this article, there are many resources available to inform and guide us (see below). From these and other sources, we can learn how to have beautiful and bountiful gardens while also protecting our water and land and even supporting wildlife by providing healthy habitats.

Examples of environmentally friendly gardening practices include:

• Good soil preparation, which helps plants get established sooner. Once established, most plants require little extra fertilization due to beneficial soil organisms. Good soil preparation also leads to healthier plants which are more adapted for drought conditions and more resistant to pests
• Choosing native plants, or plants already well-adapted to our climate. Once established, these plants typically require less water or pesticides and have the added benefit of creating habitat for local pollinators and birds
• Using hand tools rather than power tools whenever possible. This reduces energy use and helps to protect air quality
• Fertilizing with organic mixtures, creating and using a compost pile and mulching adequately. This can greatly reduce or eliminate the use of synthetic chemicals
• Managing storm water in our gardens and lawns to prevent soil erosion and promote groundwater recharge. Walk through your garden during rain storms and watch where the water goes. Use rain barrels or cisterns; work with your site's natural features and use soil, gravel, and plants to capture rain and promote ground absorption.

Here are a few resources for more information:

http://www.ncbg.unc.edu/ (The North Carolina Botanical Garden)

http://www.ncsu.edu/jcraulstonarboretum/ (The JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State)

http://www.epa.gov/epahome/cnews_051001.htm

http://www.projectwildlife.org/news.spring2001-envirogardening.htm (integrated pest management)

http://www.compostguide.com/ (composting information)

http://www.startribune.com/stories/417/715639.html (rainwater gardens)

http://www.cleanairgardening.com/brillux38ree.html (clean air gardening)

Finally, you may find it interesting to engage your parents or grandparents in conversations about how they gardened in their youth. What today is described as "environmentally friendly gardening" or "organic gardening", is, in many cases, simply a return to practices of the past, practices which were based on observing and respecting natural processes. In this way, we support the delicate balance of life rather than attempt to alter it. And if you are a gardener, this is one of the best opportunities to demonstrate stewardship for our land, water, and air - all part of God's creation.