The Organic Gardener's Handbook

How to Have a Chemical Free Garden, by Barbara Ellis & Fern Bradley

Feb 27, 2008

A guide to help you plant an organic garden that will save money, protect the environment and require less work to stay healthy.

Organic gardening has become much more popular in recent years, and for good reason. We've learned a lot about the ill effects of pesticides: in our foods, in water runoff, in the air we breathe, in the foods that our friendly creatures rely on, in the harm we expose our pets to. We are a much greener planet today, or at least trying our best to be, and it's a healthy goal for all of us. But leaving your garden to the bugs is not an effective solution. There are much more appropriate options available. You just need a good resource to keep your garden healthy, green and safe. The Organic Gardener's Handbook is a pictured reference guide that will keep you from ever feeling tempted to buy a bottle of poison again.

One surprising lesson about using pesticides is that your garden becomes dependent on them in much the same way drugs affect humans. The more you use, the more you need until finally, your garden can't survive without artificial help. It loses its own ability to defend itself against intruders. But nature provides its own remedies for a gardener's problems, and we just need an education on how to create a garden that will work with nature rather than against it. Pesticides are a very short-term solution.

You can't have a plan of attack if you're not sure which intruder you're fighting. Bugs can be tricky looking. There are harmless worms, and then there are incredibly powerful monsters who will eat your every last tomato just before they turn red. You won't know the difference without a proper picture, and this book is filled with photographs that will help you recognize pests and plants alike. Learn to recognize various pest species before a gardener's frustration has you reaching for a gun to keep the tomatoes safe.

A Proactive Garden

Organic gardening requires an extra dose of patience at first because, for the best results, you need to learn how to plant things together (or apart) that will work with nature rather than against it. This method goes against the grain for long-term gardeners who are used to choosing plants based on color, height, fragrance or some other design purpose. You will still have beautiful gardens, but it takes some effort to learn which pretty plants can be safely planted together. And sometimes you have to mix things up. A bit of garlic planted in the flower bed can go a long way to keeping pests at bay. Certain herbs tossed in with vegetables will keep deer from feasting in your garden. Think of it as proactive gardening. You're starting out on the offense rather than waiting and defending your plants later.

Environmental Impact

The long-term payoff of organic gardening is well worth the initial effort. Eventually, your garden will be taking care of itself, and your wallet will be fatter from the pesticide savings. You can also feel good about your efforts to help improve our environment and the lives of all the innocent creatures in the natural world around you. Start small, and grow as you learn. Soon you'll have a garden you can be proud of on all fronts.

The copyright of the article The Organic Gardener's Handbook in Gardening Books is owned by Trevy Thomas. Permission to republish The Organic Gardener's Handbook in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.