Everybody who comes to visit my home and studio delights in my garden, 365 days of the year.
All this is possible without any chemicals whatsoever.
My garden is 100 percent organic and a place that uplifts my soul beyond what I could ever express to you.
As a devoted gardener, I am here to tell you that you can do a lot to save the bees.
Yesterday, news outlets reported that more than 40 percent of bee hives died in the past year.
“So what?” you may think.
Except that 1 out of every 3 bites of food you eat comes courtesy of the pollination work of these tiny creatures.
If you care about eating you might want to start caring about bees.
Here’s what you can do to save the bees:
- Stop using pesticides, period. Experts estimate the mites, poor nutrition and pesticides are to blame for bee deaths.
- Stop using any chemicals on your lawn or in your garden, period. Not only will you save the bees, you will also save yourself, as many common garden chemicals are known to cause cancer.
- Use companion planting. Many people are not aware that you can solve lots of common challenges by simply pairing helpful species next to one another. For example, I plant garlic around my roses to keep the bugs away. You can download a FREE companion planting chart on my Pinterest site at this link.
- Get rid of your grass. Grass is not only incredibly expensive because you have to pay to water it, most people use all sorts of herbicides on their lawn to keep the weeds down. You won’t have to pay to reseed or waste your Saturdays mowing the lawn. It would cost from a low of $14.24 to a high of $66.89 to cut 500 square feet of grass in the Atlanta area.
- Xeriscape instead. That means plant drought-resistant native plants instead of grass. Years ago one August, my water bill was over $750. That motivated me! I tore out all the grass in my front yard, put down the equivalent of 24 wheelbarrows of organic mushroom compost and planned out a gorgeous design of perennial ground covers, herbs, vegetables and flowers. That project was so successful I tore out all the rest of the grass in the back garden the following year and continued spreading the love.
- Save money by choosing native plants that you don’t need to water or douse with chemicals. Blackeyed Susans in my front garden have naturalized, blessing me with months of late summer and fall color. Ask your local nursery about the easiest plants for your area. Because they are native, they will spread more easily.
As you eliminate the chemicals in your garden, you will notice the wildlife thriving.
I am constantly cheered by bird song, as the birds, bees, butterflies and hummingbirds know instinctively where it’s safe to hang out.
What is healing?
Healing happens when we make the connection that our long-term health and well-being depends upon caring for the land all around us.
