Gaia’s Garden is practically considered a gardening bible by many gardening enthusiasts who seek to worth with Nature rather than against it, and the second edition will prove to be even more valuable.
Gaia’s Garden focuses on permaculture gardening, an approach to small-scale agriculture that mimics the relationships found in nature. The idea is that plants, animals and organisms work in harmony to create a self-sufficient environment in which the need for human ‘input’ is fairly low. That means no artificial fertilizers, pesticides, or tilling. No endless trips to the garden center for supplies. Whereas most backyards contain ‘fragments’ – a vegetable garden here, a flower bed there, a pile of wood in a back area for critters – permaculture gardening brings all of these elements together as a cohesive whole.
For those who think gardening involves, by default, a lot of back-breaking work and expensive equipment, this concept may sound unlikely to prove successful. But it works by balancing the needs and benefits of each element in the garden, much in the way a natural ecosystem balances itself.
For example, much of the information in the book revolves around ‘guilds’, groups of plants that provide food or other useful products for humans, create cover and food for wildlife, repel pests, conserve water and nourish the soil. One such example is ‘the three sisters’ – corn,beans and squash – which work together so that each plant, and the garden as a whole, is able to thrive.
In addition to the practical advice about plants with many uses, encouraging beneficial microorganisms, attracting helpful insects and animals and bringing the soil to life, the second edition of Gaia’s Garden features a new chapter on urban permaculture designed especially for people who have limited growing space – a huge help for gardening enthusiasts who live in suburban or urban areas. Other new features include new color photographs and illustrations, as well as new plant lists.
Gaia’s Garden is not the kind of book you’ll be passing around to others – you’ll want to keep it all to yourself, because you’ll be using it as a reference again and again.
Link [Gaia’s Garden]
