Slow Gardening: What it Means and How to Grow Slow
Slow gardening is all about taking your time and enjoying the process. It’s not about rushing to the garden center on the first sunny weekend of spring and buying up everything you see. Instead, slow gardening takes a longer-term approach that follows the changes of the seasons.
Felder Rushing, a US horticulturalist, told The New York Times, “Slow gardening should leave you with something to look at 12 months out of the year.”Focus on enjoying the process instead. And don’t forget plenty of perennials—plants that come back year after year.”
Slow gardening is all about enjoying the process of growing plants and harvesting your own produce. It’s not about creating a perfect garden or following a strict checklist. Slow gardening is about relaxing and enjoying the experience, and it’s a great way to improve your mental and physical health.
Much like the slow food movement, which promotes local food traditions and a stronger connection to the food we eat, slow gardening is all about connecting to the earth and the natural world. These two strands of slow movement are closely related, and both aim to repair the disconnect between growing and eating that has been created by our culture of convenience.
“Grow good vegetables with honest hands, make a meal that is shared around a table, and you have the bedrock, the essence of wellbeing.” ~ MONTY DON, DOWN TO EARTH
In short, slow gardening is:
- Enjoying the process of gardening, rather than the instant gratification of a perfect garden
- Enjoying the garden all year round
- Feeling more connected to nature, where our food comes from, and the local environment
Embracing Slow Gardening
- To get into the slow gardening mindset, ditch the parts of gardening that stress you out. For example, if you hate mowing the lawn or you don’t think mowing and fertilizing are sustainable, then switch to a lawn alternative, like wildflowers. There are no rules for what you should have in your garden.
- Respect and encourage wildlife to thrive in your garden.
- Use fewer power tools, and instead use hand or manual tools.
- Be inspired by Felder Rushing’s penchant for recycling and reusing items in the garden for innovative containers.
- For the best chances of success (with less effort), choose plants that will thrive in your garden without excessive care.
- And finally, experiment with growing your own fresh produce.
Slow gardening is great for you and your plants. When you garden slowly, you can pay attention to the details, like the shape and colors of plants, and the wildlife that visits your garden. You can also reconnect with your surroundings.
It’s like using a microscope to look at your own little part of nature and see all the things that grow or live there – the things you usually wouldn’t notice in a hurry. It’s also a chance to get some exercise, fresh air, and a great sense of purpose.
Peace ♥ Harmony, Cheryl
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