Garden Foundations

What do you think is the most important part of your garden?

For me it is the soil and working on improving my soil is the perfect project for a warm sunny April day.

Great gardens start with great soil and today I finally made myself this handy smart composting area.

Recycled pallets make a frame for keeping everything neat and contained. They are large enough to hold a lot of material. An enclosed bin is best for vegetable and fruit scraps from the kitchen and I start by composting them separately in my black plastic bin making sure to keep the ratio of Carbon to Nitrogen correct or you just end up with a soggy, smelly mess! Get all the facts to make your own kitchen waste compost here Compost Making 101 or if you do not have a yard area to do that in, then I recommend The Box Of Life in Ottawa. They have everything you need to get started on vermicomposting which you can even do indoors!

As I do not use any chemicals or man made fertilizers in my garden I need to make lots of compost to add back on to the soil to feed all the little creatures that work away behind the scenes doing their bit to make a healthy living soil to grow great plants. There is a lot of science behind what goes on in the soil and here is a handy summary for Soil Science 101 from West Coast Seeds

Such a cool process where nothing goes to waste and it is all recycled back into my yard where it gets added back to my no dig beds to grow amazing flowers and vegetables.

There are even great health benefits of getting your hands in the soil as it causes a healthy response in our immune systems and gets our brains to produce more serotonin. Research has shown that a specific soil bacterium triggers the release of serotonin. Serotonin is a natural anti-depressant and strengthens the immune system. The lack of serotonin in the brain causes depression. No wonder the garden is my “happy place”!

Digging down through last years leaf pile

Wonderful dark crumbly compost sieved and ready to use

So with benefits for your own health and benefits for the planet in general, get outside and get dirty! Gardening has always provided me with so much joy and new learning experiences especially when a garden is never finished but just a work in process.

This year my garden and business will be continuing to grow, flourish and change. I will have seedlings for sale in May and soon after that jars and bouquets of flowers will be on offer.

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