Even though we are all waiting for spring to show up, we can still prepare for our gardens and start gathering tools, seeds, drawing the garden on paper, find our straw and fertilizers so we can be prepared when it is finally time to dive into our gardens and get them presentable for plantings, etc.
First I would like to encourage each and everyone of you to begin to develop an "inquiring mind" as a gardener. There are so many things we need to think about in just planning our gardens and then there are those stewardship issues we need to think about and inquire about and make decisions about. What I am saying is learn to ask questions. Learn to ask yourself things like "what is the best approach here?" Do you use chemicals in your gardens or not? How do chemicals affect the soil? How do chemicals affect the produce in the end? How do chemicals affect the environment? We are in an age where we are really beginning to acknowledge that mother earth is congested with chemicals, contaminated water, chem trails in the atmosphere and on and on. So, I challenge you to ask yourself, and ask questions. What can I do in my gardening to limit harming earth in any way.
Are you aware of the harmful affects of the neonicotinoid pesticides that are being sprayed on plants and land as an overall pesticide control. Are you aware that our insects, including beneficial and especially the bees are being consistently killed by these pesticides. Do you know that 1/3 of our food is pollinated by the bees and if the bees go, we go as there won't be enough food to feed humanity. Do you know that many of the green houses sell plants, especially annual flowers that have been dipped in the neonicotinoids as seedlings? Step out of your comfort zone and ask the "nurseries" and "big box stores" if their suppliers use chemicals and pesticides that are harmful to our precious beneficial insects. Find a resource that doesn't and buy from them. Ask your favorite nurseries to buy only from suppliers that do not use pesticides such as the neonicotinoids. Search the internet for information on these environmental issues. Share your results with others and encourage them to buy and plant veggies and flowers and other plants that will not compromise mother earth and her insects. And yes, some of the insects are regular "pests" and they are there for a purpose. There is a balance in the insect world just in all of our other animal and plant worlds. We just don't know what it is...and often want to take the easy path and be blind to the bigger picture.
So, this blog is about asking questions. Wake up and be aware of what harms mother earth and in the process US!!
