The 7 Principles of Reverent Gardening

Mrs. Hudspeth's Zinnias

The good garden news this week is that we have hundreds of fairly nice looking but very green tomatoes growing. If we get warm (hot) weather over the next three weeks they should ripen nicely. We are pretty excited about it all. Feel free to stop by and look and--pick some okra, beans, and herbs.

While noodling about the internet we ran across this wonderful collection of principles that closely summarize much of what your community gardeners feel. Here they are:

All of Earth is a Garden

Conscientious stewardship of a garden is a means to practice the Reverent
Gardener's ethic of service: To enhance the well-being and ecology of Earth,
nature and humanity by gardening with gratefulness to God, respect, courtesy, gratitude, and reverence.

Nature is a vast web of interdependent lives and events of which humans are only part.

By becoming a student of nature's complex system (microorganisms, insects,
plants, animals, minerals, soil, natural forces such as wind, rain, sun, etc.),
we can perceive and understand nature's subtle and dramatic workings in our
garden. Consequently, we can garden to restore, regenerate, and sustain
nature's integrity.

The value of Nature is as much for itself as for humans.

We should be grateful for the opportunity to co-create daily with nature,
and to know when to simply be a witness of nature at work and play in our
garden. In the spirit of cooperation rather than domination, not every human
intervention may be appropriate.

Gardening is an opportunity to engage in honorable effort and right livelihood.

In partnership with nature, we can be a noble steward — for a moment, an
hour, a season, and a lifetime. We can learn to be patient, observant and
curious, having faith in the mystery of nature. Above all, we can learn to
evoke in our efforts awe and wonder, and wisdom.

The process of gardening is as desirable as the end product of our efforts.

Gardening allows us to learn about nature and ourselves. We should strive
for a balanced philosophy and practice that embraces the wise and creative use
of intuition as well as an honorable and intelligent use of science and
technology. Such gardening “tools” should cause the least harm to all
without sacrificing the garden or nature's overall integrity.

A garden should be beautiful as well as nutritious.

We should strive to create a peaceful refuge that nourishes and nurtures, giving optimally nutritious food for the body and replenishing food for the soul. The highest compliment to a garden is to perceive it as an inspiring sanctuary.

Give back to Nature and your garden more than you take.
Live like you won't be here tomorrow; have reverence and compassion for
Earth as if you will be here forever. Therefore, sustain and regenerate your
garden's soil, recycle waste, and conserve water. Encourage diversity of
plants, native vegetation, and desirable wildlife, large and minute. Foster the
use of heirloom seeds and seed-saving. Use the least toxic inputs for both soil
and plant. Grow only as much as you need and can share with others while
offering a portion to the garden's wildlife. Finally, do what you can to
educate others on how to be an Earth-friendly, reverent gardener.