It doesn't matter if 7,000 people thought about it before I did, or if I am reinventing the wheel. It doesn't matter if it isn't popular or if it is an unorthodox approach.
Experimenting, like any exploration, opens the mind to creative thinking. Enjoyment is achieved in the process of discovery.
I'm always willing to try something new, whether it be an unusual variety of a vegetable or a different method of gardening. To me, gardening is not only a method of getting fresh vegetables. It is a method of getting exercise and relieving stress. I like watching things grow - and eating is my favorite hobby.
I never use pesticides on my garden and I am forever searching for natural methods of deterring unwanted pests. I love wildlife, so it is always a challenge to find some way of keeping them around without sacrificing my plants.
Once I discovered a rabbit had made its den beside my beets. Mr. McGregor I am not. I decided I'd rather see the bunnies than the beets. I didn't get to see the bunnies, though - and I did get to eat the beets. I don't know whether neighborhood dogs got the rabbits or if the mother decided another place was safer for her babies.
I feed the birds and still get a thrill out of seeing deer in our yard. I tried different methods of keeping them out of the garden, though. I finally decided that, if I wanted a garden AND wildlife, I'd have to fence the garden.
I study the bugs on my plants, seeking the beneficial insects and, when necessary, plucking off the harmful ones. I'm always in search of a natural way to get rid of pests.
Time spent in my garden isn't work, it's delightful recreation.inda Rigsbee
ABOUT The Experimental Gardener
