Welcome to Tending My Garden!
My name is Theresa. I’ve been organic gardening every since I started gardening 40 years ago.
My husband and I live in a little country town in Virginia—which is becoming more “not-so-country” every day. In any event, I love it. We have a little over an acre on which our home, small garage and shed sit. Flower borders and gardens take up most of the rest.
I want to be of help and encouragement to you by sharing my 35 years of garden experience with you. That will spill over into the kitchen (55 years of experience) and I’ll give you some helpful tips to make your life in your garden and kitchen more enjoyable —-and help you eat better at the same time.
A lot of what you read here will not be the mainstream way of doing things. I have simplified and simplified again my garden and kitchen chores so that I can have the time to grow our food and prepare good wholesome food for my husband and myself and our guests when we have them and tend to my other responsibilities of making a living as well.
I’ve been gardening 40 years, many of those years spent without a nickel to spend. I’ve learned over the years what is needed and what is hype. My knowledge comes from first hand experience and observation as opposed to just theoretical knowledge of a topic that comes from reading only.
I don’t use things that are poisonous or harsh products that might imperil my soil. I do not use seed that is chemically treated or GMO seed. I buy my seed (organic when possible) and use basically what nature provides to give my soil the nutrients to produce great stuff.
I mix perennials in my garden – choosing things that are beautiful, easy, and that I think will make beneficial insects call my garden home.
There was an article in the Washington Post by Barbara Damrosch in May of 2009 entitled “Who’s afraid of a little organic garden?” The article, in my view, basically made the point that the big chemical fertilizer and pesticide industries want you to think that gardening without use of their products is impossible.
I particularly liked and related to one of her ending comments: “The great dark secret is that nature is generous and determined to make plants grow.”
I think she hit the nail on the head.