Monday 7 May 2007

Food Not Lawns


I have been enjoying this book lately. It has all kinds of practical gardening tips as well as ideas for living a more sustainable lifestyle. This is a quote from the book that I really like, "By putting our hands in the soil, we gain access to the wisdom of the earth, and by putting our heads together we learn how to use that knowledge for the benefit of all." What a simple idea but the results of such simple actions have huge potential. She goes on to say, " When members of a community start living more ecologically, they improve the soil, purify the water, plant trees, encourage wildlife, and reduce pollution and waste. By giving back more than it takes, every ecological project increases the overall health of our planet - and thus our capacity for peace and sustainability."
Many people would think that unrealistic, I am sure but, as a gardener, I know that anything is possible and would like to leave you with another favourite quote.
"Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams than Emperors" - Mary Cantwell
And I think any gardener will agree with that. ;-)

2 comments:

Mary-Sue said...

Mmmm. Fabulous. I actually had to order this book. I've had it out of the library for 6 weeks now and I want to read it every day for the next 60 YEARS. Love the quotes you chose. So inspiring, isn't it? naysayers be damned.

Katherine said...

Looks like an interesting read. Love the title too. You will laugh to hear that I've managed to squeeze 24 tomato plants in amongst the flower beds along with some basil and many, many veggie seeds... and I have been eyeing up the lawn thinking of expanding my veggie growing area. I still have 8 tomato plants to transplant, but as they are cherry tomatoes I think they might get put into pots. I have a suspicion that if all grows well it will be hard to move amongst the plants for veggie harvesting... But I'm looking forward to it!