YORKTON - The next meeting of the Yorkton and District Horticultural Society will be held on Wednesday, March 19 at 7:00 PM at the Yorkton Public Library. It’s time to start thinking gardening again!
Have you ever heard the expression “biophilic”? The Merriam Webster dictionary defines it as “a hypothetical human tendency to interact or be closely associated with other forms of life in nature: a desire or tendency to commune with nature”. We all know how 小蓝视频 out in the garden or in nature makes us feel better on so many levels, in terms of overall health for body and mind and soul.
This is such a strong need in the human spirit that it has now become a garden design trend. It is more than just enjoying nature, it is also an increased awareness of concern for nature around us and the environment.
So this design trend encourages gardeners to make their “outdoor” space an extension of their “indoor” living space, or the other way around! Imagine a lovely patio or deck area, with comfortable furniture, soft lighting, and space to sit and interact with family and friends, surrounded by the beauty of nature.
I was blessed to grow up with this gardening idea. My beloved parents had a beautiful yard, and the grassy area that enclosed our patio table and lawn chairs was like a second living room. One a nice spring, summer or fall afternoon, it was the usual place to have a cup of coffee or tea and Mom’s delicious baking; And on balmy summer evenings, family guests would enjoy the same treat after touring the garden. We had countless barbeques in our “outdoor living space”, and sat around a lovely fire on many memorable summer evenings. My parents had this idea before it became a “trend”: to enjoy the outdoor space that brought them so much pleasure. I’m sure you do the same thing as well.
We can create a beautiful connection with nature by using natural materials: wood, water in a burbling water feature, and pleasing, natural-looking wood mulch to keep the ground cool, retain water in the soil, and keep weeds down.
Wood or bark mulch is wonderful: it is not only beautiful, but fragrant and porous, allowing water to filter gently down to the soil. If you are thinking it is difficult to pull weeds from mulch, it is easy because the weeds have really ‘rooted’ only in the mulch, not in the soil, so they usually come out with a simple tug. This is not so easy with a rock mulch; much more effort required! And a final note: we asked a gardening guru friend of ours if he ever uses landscaping fabric, and the answer was a resounding ‘no!” because when weeds take root and get caught in the fabric, it is a harder job to remove them. In the end, it is a gardener’s choice, but consider all pros and cons with the project ahead of time.
Now, let’s go indoors. For gardeners who love houseplants, they are bringing “the outdoors in” along with all the bountiful benefits of plants: the beauty of their foliage; improved air quality; the joy of tending those plants, especially on cold winter day; and also very important, the breath of joy for the soul to look at and enjoy the plants.
It might have a fancy name these days, but enjoying the garden and plants as part of our living space is something many of us know innately in our gardeners’ hearts, so let’s enjoy! Visit the hort society at www.yorktonhort.ca. Thank you to our friends at YTW for their great work. Gardeners, have a good week!
