I want to spend the rest of my working days in a garden. Or planning a garden. Or talking about a garden. I came to this realization last summer as I sat on my deck, enjoying my backyard garden and planters overflowing with a riot of colour. The light was just at that angle in the late afternoon...the air seemed green and alive. Birds were beginning to arrive to check out the feeders in my yard. I studied a solitary leaf-cutter bee as she busily carried pieces of leaves into a little hole in one of the deck boards. Everyone should feel as fulfilled, centred and happy in their own backyards I thought.
Fast forward to today. Snow fills my backyard. The resident squirrel (does it live under my deck or my shed? maybe both?) visits regularly looking for peanuts. Chubby little birds visit the suet feeders hanging in the crazy big lilac by the fence. And the rest of the garden waits... I am about six weeks from officially launching a gardening business! Scared to death and ridiculously excited at the same time. I want to help people have a garden: the kind of garden they always dreamed of; a garden that reflects who they are; that brings happiness, calm and satisfaction. One that makes them linger outside just a little while longer.
The Organic Gardener and Company reflects who I am, just like my garden does. It’s about building really good soil with lots of compost and mulch (bet you thought it was all about the plants huh?) and where to plant stuff that grows well, is easy to care for and serves a purpose. It’s about lovely perennial beds anchored with shrubs and trees; a little kitchen garden that yields ingredients for the freshest pesto, salads, bruschetta topping, spaghetti sauce or whatever makes you drool; or beautiful containers on your porch, balcony or patio. It’s about collaborating with others and tapping creativity none of us knew we had. Mostly it’s about appreciating a little dirt under my nails, the benefits of being outdoors surrounded by green and making small patches of earth better.
