Exciting times ahead of us! We are beyond glad that we got it going good with gardening at this time and era of uncertainty, turmoil, aggravation, loss, threat and forced changes that seem to turn the whole world upside down. Gardening is certainly allowing us and countless other gardeners to surf over the troubled waters of our day. Our gardens proved to be like a magical vehicle that carries us over a sinking highway, allowing us to overcome hurdles and reach a safe place, fortifying us and filling us with hope. I didn’t always have it right with gardening. In fact, I never gardened until I was nearing 30 years old. I didn’t even have a house plant, can you believe? I grew up in an urban culture in apartments. The culture in my town valued high tech. I can hardly think of one person in my childhood who had a garden where I lived. Nevertheless, I did love and thrive in the outdoors. I would walk through fields of wild flowers and orchards (where new buildings would soon be built) and I loved climbing the big mulberry tree outside our building. Mom allowed me to go high up into the canopy and pick mulberries to my hearts content. Arriving in Canada in the not too young age of 27 I had no roots here, no community and no knowledge of the local climate, or of plants. I started experimenting with growing food by imitating an old Italian neighbour on the other side of the chain link fence. Here are some pictures from my first vegetable garden: I struggled with heavy clay soil, boggy conditions and especially with lack of knowledge. Every Spring the yard would become too wet to keep a good soil structure. Not that I knew back then that soil even had a structure and that this factor was very important. I used to dig and turn the soil when it was too wet and I did endless other mistakes but I always did my mistakes with a real sense of purpose. I was reclaiming a lifestyle that was rightfully mine and I knew that I was learning all the time and that my destination on this journey is very good and worth all my failures. It was when I got my compost going and accelerated it with lots of used coffee grinds that I started seeing amazing results. My experiences with the clay soil in the back yard, the loamy soil in the front yard, sunny areas and shade areas and experiences with different plants started accumulating. My experiments with indoor gardening and growing vegetable and flower seedlings taught me a lot. Finally, I explicitly voiced my wish: “I want to understand plants.” I wanted to know them intimately, science and all. I spent every free moment researching, reading, watching videos, following and finally I enrolled in a school of horticulture.
Understanding plants also became understanding soil, ecosystems, ecology, socio economy and personal health, both physical and mental. It was especially permaculture that brought all the pieces of our world together. It mended the soil in my boggy garden and it fortified our mental state through uncertain times. Gardening was no longer just a life-style, it was who I am. My connection with the power of the natural world cannot be undone. I am telling my story for those of you who don’t have much experience gardening, but feel that it is time to get some creative experiences growing your own outdoor expression. I brought up my story to help make a clear point – gardening is for everyone.
If you find yourself in any of the situations that I mentioned I would love to take you on a journey of gardening that highlights your personal expression and allows you to work with nature and grow your dream garden. I would love to teach you, at whatever pace suits your means and time, how not to do all of my mistakes and to marvel at your successes. We can build your itinerary to include all or part of the lessons. The lessons include:
Gardening is not a hobby. It is a lifestyle that is in the very nature of humans and has been so for eons. Modern lifestyle is drawing us away from our nature. Now we want it back. Now is the time to get right, to improve our personal environment, that of our community, and the whole planet. When considering the bigger picture of environmental degradation and the toll it is taking of all living things, including humans, it is time to be part of the solution. We are here for your personalized gardening coaching. As an option, you can get a small group together for group coaching sessions. Group sessions will be fun and more affordable due to split costs. There are exciting and promising times ahead for us and our children. It is in our hands to create the environment as well as the intention, thought and actions that support life and our future. We will always be happy to hear from you and get together with you to transform our personal environment, that of your town, as well as inspire the whole world. Remember - Life is a garden, Yours, Sharona
1 Comment
Arlene Cox
12/27/2020 07:10:45 pm
Great blog! I really enjoyed it and learned a lot! Looking forward to more!
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Sharona GorenAvid gardener. Experimenter. Striver. Nature lover. Seeker. Archives
December 2022
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