ECOLOGICAL GARDENING TIPS

Last update: August 19, 2008 - 12:23 PM

ECOLOGICAL GARDENING TIPS

Nourish your soil: "Don't do anything to screw it up, like growing monocultures," O'Reilley said. "If you want to have grass, at least have different types of grass."

Seek help: "I really recommend hiring a garden consultant," O'Reilley said. "It's like a turn of the kaleidoscope, a new way of looking at your space."

Watch and learn: "Observe before you manipulate," said O'Reilley. "I thought I knew my land, but you find out where the microclimates are." Her garden consultant, Paula Westmoreland of Ecological Gardens, prepared charts for O'Reilley to fill out, noting sun movement and other details.

Start small: If you're new to vegetable gardening, O'Reilley suggests taking baby steps. "Ask yourself, 'What little patch can I start with, right by the door, growing what I like to eat?' Then grow out from there."

Make it last: If you're a seasoned gardener, already producing more than you can eat, consider drying your produce for later use. O'Reilley uses a window screen, laid in the back of a parked car. She cuts ripe tomatoes into thin slices, which she places on the screen. After two days, she has sun-dried tomatoes.

Read: O'Reilley recommends "Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture" by Toby Hemenway.

KIM PALMER

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