Friday 29 May 2015

Tales of the Two Gardens

Dear Family & Friends

To come up with the first two photos below, I have to get a chair close to our property wall in order to take a photo of our neighbour's garden. It's not everyday I do this ;p, but I'm always curious what their garden looks like from time to time. Most properties around our village is enclosed in a solid wall and houses are positioned that no one gets overlooked. (not unless you climb a chair;P) 

Our next door neighbour's immaculate garden. Two crops: potatoes and tomatoes

Our neighbor's way of gardening is very different from how we do it. Mainly because they like the monoculture way of growing things. Right now, the next door's garden is full of rows upon rows of potatoes, taking more than half of their gardening space. A quarter is filled with tomatoes.

Our neighbour's monoculture way of gardening. 3/4 of the whole garden is planted with potatoes! 

We prefer planting the polyculture way. We put gardening beds and plant out varieties of vegetables that we eat throughout the year, mixing in some flowers to attract pollinating insects too.

Our garden...with different style. We plant varieties of veggies and flowers in rows of beds.

Growing one crop in an area tend to attract and build up garden pest...but I suppose it's not a main concern for them because they spray chemicals on their crops and no weeds ever survive either! Yikes!! But as we want chemical free food, growing the polyculture way, using companion planting to distract pest and dieseases is the way to go. We encourages good insects to home in our garden to eat and control the bad pest.

We also grow potatoes in small sections, alternating with other veggies and weeds!

While we face petty problems and tend to work harder to maintain an organic garden...we still believe that using chemical poison to kill garden pest and maintain a 'clinically clean' garden will eventually be harmful for mankind too.

Despite the weeds and some bit of hard work, yet we do enjoy growing good variety of food. That's important and the joy of gardening is just a pleasure:)

Happy gardening!

Yours

4 comments:

  1. You got it right my friend!! Nothing about spraying plants is natural and is such a contradiction to what the garden is all about. Bravo to you for all you do....your garden is beautiful!! I feel so happy to have connected with you! Nicole xo

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  2. Your garden is greener and safer to eat from, hope your neighbor's chemical spray don't blown over to your garden area.

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  3. I am with you "planting the polyculture way" and no spraying, my leafy vegetables are no pretty and perfect but still delicious and I believe healthier.

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  4. Wow! Your house looks very charming! And I love your garden much better! Who just eat potatoes and tomatoes?

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