Practicalsupplies forthethoughtful gardener

Fertilizer

Like whole foods, whole sources are best (fish fertilizer, seaweed, bone and blood meal, guano).

Compost/worm castings

These improve soil’s water- and nutrient-holding capacity and contribute beneficial microbes.

Hand tools

Choose ones that are built to last over discount varieties (you might find deals at garage sales, reuse stores, or on online platforms). Old standbys include a spade, rake, garden fork, trowel, hori hori knife, stirrup hoe, and bypass pruners. Don’t forget the ever-handy wheelbarrow!

Seeds

Prioritize local suppliers, organic if possible, and open-pollinated varieties that can be saved, thus contributing to seed security.

Miscellaneous materials

For raised beds, plant supports, stepping stones, and others, consider the sustainability of your materials. Are they renewable, repurposed, recyclable, and/or nontoxic?

Growing beautifully, and sustainably

In permaculture, one of the guiding principles is to “obtain a yield.” Fresh food is a garden yield, certainly, but so is beauty and sanctuary; so is habitat for fellow creatures. Happily, these yields often go hand in hand. What’s more beautiful than the dazzling stems of rainbow chard or the company of birds cheerfully finding worms in your healthy soil? For a garden you can relish for its outward charm and deeper sustainability, you can’t go wrong with a handful of basic practices.

Steward the soil

Use compost to enrich your soil with nutrients and microbiology, then protect that microbial life and soil structure with a layer of mulch or a living crop. And since tilling takes a heavy toll on the invisible ecosystem underground, you’re better to gently loosen planting areas with a few twists of the garden fork.

Take pleasure

Plan to bask in the beauty of the garden you create by incorporating some seating. A hammock would take the basking to a new level! It may be hard to imagine in March, but you’ll likely be grateful for a shady spot come midsummer, so consider some tall plants such as sunflowers, a honeysuckle vine, or peas on a trellis.

Make room for blooms

Any garden will benefit from flowers interspersed throughout. Phacelia attracts pollinators, yarrow draws beneficial predatory insects, marigolds deter pests, nasturtiums and calendula are edible ... the list goes on. If you’re a flowers-only gardener, your patch of blooms can become a bird and insect haven if you plant native varieties to which they are adapted.

Learn and share

You may prefer solitude in your garden, but you can still gain inspiration and tips from fellow enthusiasts in your community. A little digging will likely turn up a local gardening group or horticultural society full of people sharing experience, questions, and even excess plants.