Norman Wagenaar is a professional writer and gardener living in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. He operates Naturescape West Coast Gardens, emphasizing low-maintenance, sustainable and pollinator-friendly gardening. For fifteen years he has written ecology, conservation and land stewardship content for Watershed magazine. www.watershedmagazine.com.
He volunteers as a board member with the Nanaimo and Area Land Trust www.nalt.bc.ca where he helped develop a stewardship program and a pollinator-friendly gardening initiative. Before moving to western Canada he worked as a community newspaper editor in Ontario, completed a degree in Environmental Studies at Trent University, and was employed by the Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation to work with landowners on habitat restoration. |
Lesson number one of Bare Dirt: The Mindful Gardener is this: bare dirt is the devil's playground, a weed factory, a generator of frustrating and often pointless work.
Every time you peel open the soil of this earth you are creating unintended and unwanted consequences – from weeds to erosion, nutrient depletion, soil compaction, and the destruction of your local ecology.
So, lesson number two: do not disrupt the soil unless you have a plan to heal it.
Bare Dirt: The Mindful Gardener combines personal anecdote, practical advice, and applied ecology to deconstruct contemporary approaches to horticulture and suggest alternatives which benefit natural systems and reduce maintenance.
Bare Dirt questions the notions that compel us to garden in ways that create needless work while damaging nature. Why do we plant species from around the globe while we ignore native plants? Why do we think trees need pruning and why use herbicides? Why are we obsessed with perfect lawns?
Readers may find themselves rethinking cultural norms, old ideas, and even concerns over what the neighbours might think. The book hopes to inspire gardeners to reconsider their gardening practices with some simple goals in mind: a greater awareness of the role a backyard garden plays in the local ecosystem, more joy on a daily basis, and less work.
How do we do this?
• Create gardens that consider local ecology and the needs of plants
• Provide sustainable habitat for birds, butterflies and bees
• Incorporate native plants
• End our addiction to chemicals
• Flow rather than manicure
What readers have said:
“The book is delightful and informative. It fills a niche in the world of gardening in a unique and engaging style. The author takes an ecological approach that will have you working with, rather than against nature.”
Ken Towle, Ecologist
“The book unites our yards and gardens with the natural world. Out with industrial gardening and in with practical advice, delivered with engaging prose, about how to invite the bees and birds to enjoy your yard. Bare Dirt is a helpful guide to acting locally for the benefit of you and your neighbours, be they human or otherwise.”
Paul Chapman, Executive Director of the Nanaimo and Area Land Trust
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