Eco-Wise Gardening

Written by Laura Gray

“A garden is not an escape from reality; a garden is an escape to reality” - Karen York

For those who love to garden, this quote will resonate in your mind as it did in mine after hearing it for the first time at a recent seminar presented by Mark Cullen. Gardeners – whether expert or beginner, take pride in their hard work and successes and find peace in the beauty of their gardens.

The beauty of a flowering garden and the function of a kitchen garden are emphasized by the care and attention they are given. By providing your garden with organic and all-natural methods and treatments, you are keeping in line with its true intensions.  You are prospering in a healthy garden for the environment and with kitchen gardens, providing your family with safe, healthy and delicious food.


When gardening this summer, create your gardens with as little negative impact to the environment as possible. Avoid synthetic chemical treatments as much as possible. Avoid poisoning the soil and water, and avoid potentially harming your children and pets through exposure to toxins. Be mindful of your water use, and your carbon emissions from lawn cutting. Instead follow these effective organic methods to produce beautiful lawns and gardens. In keeping with Mark Cullen’s philosophy; change your mind-set on how you see your landscape and celebrate the beauty of nature in the most natural way.

The following tips and instructions are from Mark Cullen’s new book: “The Canadian Garden Primer. An Organic Approach” and apply to both ornamental and kitchen gardens.

Begin with Healthy Soil: “90 percent of success in your garden is the direct result of proper soil preparation”. Fertile soil is essential to your gardens and when you take the time to prepare and maintain your garden’s soil, you eliminate the need to use herbicides and pesticides for weed and pest control. Good garden soil is composed of 45 percent minerals, 25 percent air, 25 percent water and 5 percent organic matter. Use compost from a reputable supplier as an excellent source of organic matter.

Use Mulch: Using the right type of mulch can reduce your weeds by 90 percent, reduce run-off and evaporation of water, is low-maintenance, and friendly to the environment. Use soft wood mulch such as cedar or pine bark, and begin with a 2 inch deep layer when beginning your garden. It requires minimum freshening each year.

Grow Native Plants: Native plants are ones that have evolved and grow naturally in North America. The benefits of using native plants (not exclusively mind you), are: they are well-adapted to our climate and soil conditions and are therefore easy to grow and maintain. They provide habitats for, and attract a variety of wildlife, such as pollinating bees, butterflies and humming birds. They tend to be more disease resistant, thus eliminating the need for harmful chemicals and have less water demands.

When it comes to your Lawn: First and foremost, those interested in organic gardening have to also look at your lawn as a garden of sorts; it is a low-lying ground-covering plant that provides oxygen to the environment, sequesters carbon dioxide, prevents soil erosion, cools the earth, and provides beauty to a landscape. It must be treated with the same care and attention that any other organic garden would - chemical-free. To maintain a healthy, organic lawn follow these tips:

There are many more ideas and methods found in Mark’s book that you can use to reap the rewards of well-prepared and maintained organic gardens. Remember, it takes care, consideration and lots of patience to garden – plus a love of the natural world in its most natural state. Happy organic gardening!