To me, sustainable gardening is radical. It goes beyond “organic”. It’s an act of defiance to big industry & Monsanto/Bayer. It’s a declaration of love for my world, my community, and my family.
Around me, so many homes have yanked out their lawns and replaced them with rocks & “artificial grass” (plastic) or chemically treated bark chips. Xeriscaping was touted as the drought-conscious thing to do. I intuitively felt that xeriscaping was the wrong answer (spoiler alert: it is), so I began to study permaculture, which is sustainable & regenerative agriculture (as a very basic description).
From the first book I read, I saw my world in a whole new light. Every plant is food for some creature. When we remove plants (even what we call “weeds”) from our landscape, we destroy ecosystems and accelerate climate change. Gardening with sustainable practices, regenerative systems, and a well-considered design restores ecosystem balance.
As a bonus, properly designed regenerative gardens use far less water than lawns, help sequester atmospheric carbon and provide yard-to table food! They also take less work than conventional ones once they’re established! Super bonus!