Taking up Gardening

This ancient proverb resonated with me as truth. When I read it, I thought that it just made sense. Working and nurturing plants help center me. They help me to be calm. In addition, it also got me to thinking why do we get so focused on spring and summer for gardening when it’s really a year-round event?

Fall is the second busiest time for gardening

The Toronto Botanical Gardens’ Blog What to Plant When… in Fall reminds us that plenty of the plants, flowers, and foods we love start in the fall — like garlic.

The Botanical Gardens also recommends planting container-grown and “balled and burlap” trees and shrubs during the fall months. They also recommend waiting until after the leaves have fallen to plant our beloved maple trees.

In addition to the tulips and other spring flowering bulbs, fall is also the time to divide and transplant some of your perennials. Fall is a good time to get your hands in dirt.

Moving indoors for the winter months

Once the cold weather comes to Toronto, I move my plants indoors. I move them back outside when the weather warms up. Some of my herbs and vegetables do continue to grow through fall so I tend to them also.

In my home, I have surrounded us with plants all year long. Plants clean the air and bring life to an empty room. During winter months, we appreciate that our indoor plants help filter the toxins out of the air for us. Our closed windows and doors, plus staying home more, can compromise the air that we breathe inside our homes and offices.

Here’s a few from those lists:

• Snake Plant
• Peace Lilly
• Bamboo Palm
• Parlor Palm
• Lady Palm
• Re d-Edged Dracaena
• Cornstalk Dracaena
• Janet Craig
• Spider Plants

As always, if you have children or pets, make sure the plant you want is not harmful to them. Research first before you buy.

Outdoor Gardening can be for the Greater Good

Much of the land we walk on was once forests. The deforestation of our planet has taken a toll. In Japan, Professor (Dr.) Akira Miyawaki began planting “tiny forests” to restore natural and native forest ecosystems since the 1970’s. He passed in 2021.

Professor Miyawaki’s method of afforestation has inspired others like eco-engineer Shubhendu Sharma from India. Sharma travels the world helping others build their own tiny forests. His TED Talk and blog post on How to Plant your own Tiny Forest presents a simple concept that has a lasting impact when communities work together to plant native trees for a tiny forest.

When Sharma worked for Toyota, his job had him finding ways to make products from natural resources. What he found was that these former natural resources could not go back because we separate out the elements of nature. He discovered that natural resources “produce” by “bringing elements together.” These natural products can go back to natural resources again.

Tiny Forests

That knowledge, along with Professor Miyawaki’s tiny forests research, inspired Shama to start a nonprofit. At the time of his TED Talk, they had helped communities plant 75 forests in 25 cities around the world. In each ecosystem they use the same method – research native plants, prepare the soil, and plant in 4-layers from brush to canopies.

Watch Shubhendu Sharma’s TED Talk and other videos. Learn how you can plant a forest in your own back yard or provide new life into a vacant lot.

Gardening for Happiness

There are many ways you can garden — and for all seasons of the year. Let’s make this fall one that has us digging in the dirt whether it’s garden or potting soil. It’s all good for us.

Take care,

~~Ellen