Recently a colleague of mine emailed me this image which immediately got me to thinking “what does it mean when we dream of gardening? How are those dreams interpreted?” I’ve had more than a few clients and friends relate to me that they occasionally dream about gardening and interacting with Mother Nature.
Deciduous trees go through a period of inactivity, known as dormancy, during the winter months. Dormancy is brought about by decreasing day length (photoperiodism), cold initiating chemical actions that cause leaf drop, thereby making Autumn the perfect time to don a sweater, grab a cup of pumpkin-spice latte, spend some time outside and become mesmerized watching the swathes of green trees fade away–replaced by dazzling amber, maroon, gold and bronze hues.
As with any form of companion planting, doing so with native plants focuses on the idea of beneficial diversity in a sustainable garden. There are numerous benefits native plant companions can provide:Preventing diseases through diversity is of immense benefit. In a monoculture, where many of the same type of plants are planted together, pests can easily spread from one plant to the next. Mixing with companion plants can interrupt this cycle of spread.
We had the good fortune of being contracted to remove a massive growth of poison ivy. Growing to a height of 8 to 10 ft with trailers climbing tress up to 35 or 40 feet, it was growing alongside a small stream bed/culvert area which led to its spread to a nearby athletic playing field of a muncipal school.
Recently we obtained a new client whom had just purchased a beautiful home in Bergen County, N.J. The residence itself was immaculate, however the outside property area was somewhat neglected with regards to the lawn and bed areas. As it was the start of the gardening season, their number one priority was establishing a garden area with raised beds as they wished to grow their own vegetables and herbs and practice sustainable landscaping utilizing organic principles.
When implementing and practicing organic gardening, no fertilizers and pest control products are utilized that contain anything that would be considered not of a natural origin..
There is hope if people will begin to awaken that spiritual part of themselves, that heartfelt knowledge that we are caretakers of this planet. One such way is by practicing sustainable landscaping principles and practices, such as planting native trees and plants.