The Power of Connection – why human connection matters.

I can’t think of a more community driven activity than gardening. While I began experimenting with gardening at a young age, it wasn’t until I joined my first community garden that I started growing food. It was that experience that became the starting point to where I am today. We always had a kick-off to the season where we shared in projects needing to be completed, while getting our own plots ready. At the end of the day we would sit down and share a meal together. It was fun, it was inspiring, and I will always cherish those memories. It wasn’t just about sharing our experiences, but also learning about popular vegetables from many different cultures, growing techniques, troubleshooting pest and/or disease issues, and the best part– making friends with shared interests. In many community gardens everyone shares the workoad, whether it be weeding or watering or just checking in on plants when others can’t. There was a real sense of comradarie and a shared passion for being in nature and seeing your seeds turn into nourishing food. Once harvest season began, it was a feast of sharing and tasting everyone’s bounty.

At that same community garden was where I tasted my first mulberry, learned how to grow onions, and experimented with square foot gardening. Things I certainly wouldn’t have learned on my own.

Things I Learned From Real Gardeners

Later in my journey I worked as a fine gardener, tending to other’s gardens in their homes and estates, as well as working in school gardens. This is where I learned about gardening with the seasons, biointensive farming, companion planting, growing and caring for fruit trees, water conservation, and organic gardening practices. While I did end up going to school for Environmental Horitculture (where I gained lots of other knowledge) there is no comparison to hands on experience with others. I have always said, gardening is not something you stop learning. There are so many factors we cannot control so every year is different and this is what makes it so interesting. It is also why swapping stories and sharing experiences and knowledge with others is priceless.

I learned more from the many people I worked with than any book or computer could teach me. It is one thing to read how to amend soil, but is another to touch the soil with your hands, to smell it and to feel the texture and density.

There is no one answer to how to seed, transplant and care for your plants. You have to fully understand your climate, your soil, your sun conditions, and how you water. Neighbors that also garden are great resources because you are sharing a lot of those factors and can compare notes. You can also swap produce, seeds, or flowers that you may not have in your own garden. There is something special about being given the gift of something that was grown and cared for by someone else.

There is also a real joy for me to experiment in growing something new every year, whether it’s a vegetable, an herb or a type of flower. It is from hearing others experiences that helps me determine the approach I take.

Another important factor for all of us no matter where we are gardening in the world is climate change. There is not doubt it has changed what we can grow and how we grow it. For example some of the fruit trees on our property were planted over 20 years ago- some of them were only planted 3-4 years ago. Fruit trees need a certain amount of winter “chill” hours to perform at their best. We realized some of our established trees were not getting the chill hours they got 20years ago and this has affected their performance. You learn this from experience, from connecting with your land and observing all the conditions around you.

Top Questions People Ask Me as an Organic Gardener

One of the most common question I get asked is “how come your kale (or broccoli, etc) doesn’t have aphids, and how do you manage them?”

The truth is many of my plants get aphids, but it is about understanding why and what you may or may not be doing that makes your plants more susceptible to aphids. We have a severe problem with cucumber beetles in the summer months at Mar Vista. If I were to look this up online – it may tell me to plant onions or garlic because these beetles don’t like the smell. Meanwhile, my onions and garlic are covered in beetles! Dont’ get me wrong there is a lot of great information out there, but you have to know the source and again, without knowing your specific conditions, different answers apply. After talking to many gardeners in my area, I have learned several strategies that have helped my situation. ..and last year all of my neighbors and I took the same approach so that we could combat the beetles together. We all saw solid results. That is the power of community in gardening.

Why You Should Ask, Not Search

When you join a community garden or a local seed share, you gain knowledge, friendships, and maybe even some extra produce.

Ask any gardener a question about gardening and you will see their eyes light up. Because as gardeners we are so passionate about this work and we love to talk about it, we love to learn about it, and we love to compare stories. It feeds us and it nourishes us, just like the food we grow.

Have a gardening question? Ask us or book your stay at Mar Vista and take a gardening tour with me.

Love + Light Deanna