Take Gradual Steps Toward All-Natural Approach

I try to garden organically. I say that instead of saying I’m an organic gardener.

I think of an organic gardener as someone who is totally committed to using only natural products in the garden.

I garden organically, because I try to use organic methods whenever possible. But I am not opposed to synthetic or chemical methods.

Organic gardening, like other things in life, is about choices.

About 99 percent of the time, I make an organic choice, but sometimes I resort to chemical methods, such as using Round-Up when trying to eliminate tough weeds.

That occasional use of a manmade, synthetic herbicide makes a big difference to some people. That’s why I say I garden organically, rather than calling myself an organic gardener.

I think of gardening organically as part of the big picture. For me, it is a better choice for my garden, the plants, the soil, the water table and the environment.

I would rather use compost instead of synthetic fertilizer. I would rather hand-pick pests off plants than spray everything with insecticide.

I use disease-resistant plants instead of fighting mildew and fungus problems.

Organic gardening is something you can do with little steps, instead of the all-or-nothing approach. Most people take one step, like starting a compost pile. That one step leads to another, and before you know it, you are making more and more organic choices.

One big step is realizing what your tolerance level is. If you want a perfect garden, without a chewed leaf, diseases or leaf spots, then you will be disappointed.

Organic gardening is about accepting that you have to have some of the “bad bugs,” such as aphids, to feed the “good bugs,” like ladybeetles.

If there is nothing to feed the good guys, they will leave your garden and find a meal elsewhere. If you have the bad guys, you will have a few flaws on your beloved plants.

It is part of a healthy ecosystem and a balanced garden.

If you would like to visit an organic garden, ask around. Find someone who will let you visit their garden or share some hints and tips for inspiration.

I started my own garden in Memphis 15 years ago with a simple flower bed. I purchased bags of compost, humus and manure and worked it into the heavy clay. I started a compost bin and added grass clippings, leaves and produce scraps. Little by little, the garden and gardening beds grew.

Now, the gardens are alive with birds and chipmunks, bugs, like the praying mantis and writing spiders, as well as my dogs and a few of the neighbors’ cats, not to mention family and friends who drop by to enjoy the scenery and share plants.

I have a variety of perennials, shrubs and trees, as well as herbs and a few vegetables. The plants are doing quite well with organic gardening methods. The gardens, while not perfect, are lovely.

This kind of gardening gives me joy and a certain satisfaction, knowing I try to work with the environment in a natural way.

Donna Little is a horticulturist, an International Society of Arboriculture-certified arborist and a garden consultant. She has worked at the Memphis Botanic Garden, Mid-America Apartment Communities landscape division, The Dixon Gallery and Gardens and, most recently, for seven years at Elmwood Cemetery. Her column on organic gardening will appear once a month in Home & Garden. Questions? Call 529-2372 or E-mail winburne@commercialappeal.com