“Gardening, Naturally”

 

2015 Top Shelf_Gardening Naturally

February 2, 2015
Gardening, Naturally: A chemical-free handbook for the Prairies
by Sara Williams & Hugh Skinner.  Coteau Books, Saskatchewan; available through Publishers Group Canada. 248 pp.
Copyright 2011.

This valuable handbook is written by two knowledgable Canadian prairie garden writers. Their short biographies in About the Authors indicate the depth of their areas of knowledge. As well, their book comes with a bibliography and an index – a typical sign that points to a tendency to be as accurate and as helpful as possible.

Williams, author of two prior gardening books and co-author of two gardening books with Skinner, has served her community as a horticultural specialist over many years. Skinner, a contributor to Manitoba Gardener and The Prairie Garden magazines, is well involved in his local Horticultural Association and is co-author of other books with Williams. Both continue to serve their gardening communities by sharing knowledge of their areas of gardening expertise.

As a professional communicator in my day job, I always appreciate seeing a “why we are doing something” premise in the works of others. Most of us are willing to change our behaviours once we “get it.” We need to know why change is important, and then we are quicker to “get smart” in how we approach problems. “Accept some imperfections” is the authors’ directive that we should heed in order to rectify our collective toxic impact. “Our aim should be to cause as little disruption as possible to the balance that naturally keeps these harmful organisms under control” p4.

In their book, Gardening, Naturally, Williams and Skinner open by presenting their perspective on why gardening without chemicals should be our goal. Granted, we all know that hand-squishing invaders in the back yard is a vastly different scenario than battling, let’s say, an invasion of grasshoppers on a commercial food crop. There are times when we may need chemicals to get the job done, with industry experts utilizing best practices available to them, but we at home need to try cultural methods first in our yards. In scenarios where toxins may be needed, we should be educating ourselves to use the least toxic options with best stewardship practices uppermost in mind. Becoming better informed about the avenues available to us is part of getting started on the path leading to chemical-free gardening.

Understanding the challenges of growing healthier plants better prepares us, as well, to distinguish times of emergency from times where self-indulgence or garden-vanity, ignorance, or lazy plant practices are driving our choices. Williams and Skinner can help us learn more about care of the home garden. Can we, in fact, control weeds, insects, and diseases without resorting to the use of chemicals? How do we care for our lawns, and our vegetable gardens? What about flowers, bulbs, vines, trees, and shrubs? What cultural practices should we incorporate in growing fruit?

Bottom line? Do not forget: “Pesticides are poison.” p5  The choice? Gardening, Naturally.

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