This January, as pests and disease visit your garden, do your best to stay relaxed. It helps me, in these moments, to remember that everything is temporary – your garden is constantly evolving.
As trees and plants grow, roots stretch out and biology builds. Flowing on from this, weeds and pests change, as will your crops. There is such a lot going on in natural systems! So many cogs in the wheel of life, each impacting the other and always it keeps turning.
Our best bet is to inhabit a place of calm observation + gentle wondering. A generous side serving of letting go helps immeasurably. If nothing is permanent, why worry?!
You may as well be easy. Because try as you might, you will never control nature. You can butt up against her–and boy do we ever–but she will always be the boss. The weed you pull, it comes back, you pull, it comes back. The pest you spray – same thing, it comes back (this time with its cousins!), you spray, it comes back again and again.
Though its tempting to find quick fixes and silver bullets, there are none that play out as well as the laying of a strong foundation. The answer is long term – its the coming together of many things – a healthy soil + no artificial fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides + a diversity of well suited plants + animals, if you can + loads of trees + perennials. As this base establishes, a diversity of above + below ground life comes calling, and with it comes all the things you seek – low pest numbers, not so much disease and great abundance – your little garden has arrived! Its not as tricky as you think and is such a thrill to witness and be a part of.
We are surrounded by wonder. Slow down, my friends. Open your eyes so you don’t miss it.
Yours in the earth
❤️
