 | As an organic gardener, there were some concepts of Permaculture that I had already incorporated, like no-till gardening, composting, vermicomposting (with worms), companion planting, and crop rotation. In addition, I always included plenty of pollinator-attracting flowers, so by appearance alone, my gardens were colorful and beautiful and produced plenty to feel successful. |
Take a tour of my Urban Homestead
At least, so I thought. The reality was that I was spending way more time in my Garden than I needed to, amending soil, spraying bugs with organic insecticides, staining beds annually to resist rot, and more.
The Wake Up Call happened when we were in the throes of packing up our house to move. I didn't have the time to tend to the Garden as I usually did, and it was Summertime when pests and diseases were most challenging to control. I had 5 Kale plants (4 too many) that became overwhelmed with cabbage worms, aphids, and mites. The plants became skeletonized and full of Sooty Mold (poop fungus from aphids/mites). I usually would have sprayed them with BT (Bacillus thuringiensis), a bacterium used in organic gardening to kill caterpillars. I would have used an organic Miticide like Neem Oil or Zerotol (hydrogen peroxide based) on the aphids and mites. But because I didn't, an extraordinary event happened.
Mother Nature stepped up with Balance. The Kale bed was not pretty to the common eye, but it became full of Life! There were more ladybugs (top left of eggs) than I had seen in my Garden, cleaning up the Aphids and Mites. And Parasitic Wasp eggs (top right) were found in droves by the clusters of cabbage worms! As these beneficials took over, new growth emerged from the top of the Kale unscathed, and I could still harvest just what I needed!
I then realized that the more we fight Nature, the more Nature will fight us. But, when we build a foundation of health, whether our bodies or the Garden and work in harmony with Nature, we all thrive!
I hadn't put the Wake Up Call from the Urban Homestead into perspective until I moved into our new home in the middle of the mountains, surrounded by the National Forest. The move was hard for many reasons, and our new Land had many healing vessels, from the rushing creek to the wildlife all around. It was a matter of time and listening to this Land that piqued my interest in Permaculture. I began recognizing the energy behind every living creature, every waft of wind, and the trees dancing amidst that wind. The Land we're on also has quite a bit of history. I wanted to feel that history, listen to the Land, and do everything I could to heal the Land and myself.
In search of how to do so, I ordered several Permaculture books (listed in the Resources). I felt the same rush of adrenaline in Horticulture school, eager to learn, and even the same excitement as I did when I initially dove into my relationship with Nature in Ecuadoran Amazon 15 years ago! I had always heard of Permaculture but made assumptions about it being messy. After all, the organic gardening I was used to did produce well, and the permie gardens I saw seemed chaotic. What had changed at this time was my immense need for inner healing and immersion into a pure place of Mother Nature.
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