Waste Reduction News

How Does Your Garden Grow?

My father’s family has farmed in Virginia since 1630 and to this day my grandmother lives less than a mile from the same land her family owned almost 400 years ago. And while farming is not their source of income anymore, it is still their way of life in the warm weather months. Since I grew up with vegetable gardens, I want to carry on the tradition and show my son the values, hard work and benefits that come along with growing a garden. So I am starting a garden this year for the first time.

But I don’t live on acres of land, I don’t have the time to tend a vegetable garden, and I don’t even have skills and knowledge to garden. So I did some research and found that Square Foot Gardening is an ideal way to garden for most families. In this unique crop growing method, you garden in 1 x 1 foot squares which are grouped together into blocks measuring 4 feet by 4 feet square.

“ Each block contains 16 squares, each planted with a different crop. At an average of 8 plants per square, that means you can grow almost 130 plants in one 4-foot by 4-foot block,” according to the book Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew. Any crop can be planted in a Square Foot Garden including vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers.

Bartholomew created Square Foot Gardening when he “took up gardening as a hobby, but then set out to solve the frustrations of most gardeners, to replace the traditional wasteful single row gardening method with a better way to garden, one that's more efficient, more manageable, and less work." He believes that square foot gardening “is more than just another new method of planning and planting a garden; it’s a whole different psychological approach to gardening…the system is simple, but versatile.”

This way of gardening eliminates the need for heavy digging and it lessens the requirements for watering, weeding and thinning. Other benefits of Square Foot Gardening include the conservation of water, soil conditioners and labor. Great for beginning gardeners, suburban gardeners, large-scale gardeners who want to save space, time and work, older folks and busy people, I figured I would give it a try. Wish me luck—and check this newsletter for updates on how the garden grows.

For (lots) more information about Square Foot Gardening visit the official website.

Square Foot Gardening Conserves Natural Resources:
• It may encourage you to start a small compost pile so you can naturally fertilize your crops. The May Newsletter will have more information about composting.
• The raised garden and small space eliminates the need to use pesticides, also known as household hazardous waste.
• You can recycle wood board scraps already in your yard or house, or found at a salvage yard, to build the borders of the garden.
• You only plant one seed at a time, as opposed to the old practice of tearing open a packet of seeds and sprinkling them along a 20-foot row. This reduces the waste of seeds and plants.
• You conserve water by only having to water a few feet of space.
• Although you should always try to limit the amount of plastic bags used for produce, by growing your own garden, you will decrease the amount of produce bought (and bags used) at the grocery store.

*Photos courtesy of Square Foot Gardening

Erica Trout, a Public Information Assistant for CVWMA, writes about recycling and conservation for Waste Reduction News and other publications produced by the Authority.

Earth Day is celebrated on April 22nd each year, but where did this holiday come from? In 1970 there were actually two separate groups who celebrated the first Earth Days on two different dates.

Senator Gaylord Nelson campaigned for environmental issues for years before organizing a “teach-in” on April 22, 1970 modeled after war demonstrators’ “sit-ins.” The grass roots effort turned into a national demonstration on behalf of the environment. “Wire services carried the story from coast to coast. The response was electric. It took off like gangbusters. Telegrams, letters, and telephone inquiries poured in from all across the country. The American people finally had a forum to express its concern about what was happening to the land, rivers, lakes, and air - and they did so with spectacular exuberance,” commented the Senator after the event.

At the same time another early environmental activist, John McConnell convinced the Mayor of San Francisco to declare March 21st be recognized as Earth Day. March 21st is the vernal equinox (the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere).

Most people celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd, and there is much debate between the two groups over who really founded Earth Day. Regardless of who gets credit, all did so for the same reasons- to create awareness of environmental problems in the political and cultural mainstreams.

Take part in some type of Earth Day event this year, or create your own celebration.

Participate in a beautification project in your community. Check out our website for a listing of clean up events in the region.
• Visit cvwma.com for a list of upcoming local events.
• Plant trees, shrubs and flowers in your yard, or donate your time and resources to a common area of your street or neighborhood.
• Learn more about recycling. Our website has all of the information you need to know to start recycling, or become a better recycler.
• Decrease the amount of plastic bags that end up in landfills or become litter. Start bringing your own bags to stores, or do not accept a bag if you can carry the items purchased without one. When possible, choose paper bags over plastic bags, which are difficult to recycle.
• Become educated about an environmental issue- clean water, clean air or litter. Find out what is being done in your area.