Gardening at Crystal Waters (and in the world)

We spent yesterday morning working in Max's garden and he taught us a lot about how to run a garden for food production. My gardening experience is limited to flowers and herbs, so it was really interesting to learn about the differences between a vegetable garden and a flower garden. Here's a quick snapshot into what we've learned about gardening in the past few days:

There are many different options of gardens to build. A few include a standard garden, a mulch garden, a trench garden, and a spanish sand garden. You should choose which to use based on the climate of your garden.

Regardless of what garden construction you have, there are some basic elements that you should think about including in every garden.

Mulch: mulch protects the soil, so include plants that can be turned into mulch such as lemon grass or crotolaria.

Nutrient Cyclers: These are plants that capture nutrients. When these plants are harvested, they provide much needed nutrients to the soil. Some examples are comfrey or chicory.

Water: a pond can help with pest control because it provides a habitat for frogs and dragonflies, water for birds, and space to grow water plants.

Shelter: hedgerows can provide shelter from extreme weather as well as provide a habitat for birds.

Vertical Space: some plants are vertical growing plants, so a fence, trellis, or roof can maximize space.

Flowers: flowers can help with pest balance and provide nectar to beneficial insects (like bees).

Barrier Plants: These plants can help keep a garden weed-free because they help keep invasive plants outside the garden. Two examples are comfrey and lemongrass.

There is so much information to be learned about gardens, and Max is a great resource for any questions one might have. Hopefully this barebones basic intro can help kick-start an interest in gardening. It's so amazing that a small handful of seeds and a little work can become food for a family. Part of being sustainable is thinking about being self-sustained and a garden is a great way to make a start.