Sculpting Your Land
Sculpting your land is an artisan term I use to define how to craft gardens based on what you have growing and what comes up seasonally. When you are committed to organic methods of gardening it's all about working WITH nature, and the unique ecology of your particular garden.
This isn't about eradicating weeds forever. It's using hand powered digging and pruning to leave what you want like poppies, bachelors buttons, and malva (pictured above). Then pulling out what you don't want, like star thistle and cleavers.
This method eases weeding and aerates your soil, training your garden growth cycles. It also makes your soil richer in the long run, especially when you also amend your soil. This allows for more movement in the form of microbes, deeper water drainage penetration, worms, air, etc.
When you thin and sculpt this way, over time you are teaching the stuff you love to keep seeding and take up room. While telling the stuff you don't want to get its roots and seeds out of your garden. The less space you give what you don't want the more room you have for what you do.
You can even use invasive grasses like crab - also know as switch grass - to your advantage. This particular grass has a nodule/runner based spread that makes an underground web in the soil. The more you dig it out by the root, the more you aerate your soil over time. A recent project in did has a large vegetable/herb/flower garden that hosts a lot of switch grass, yet has some of the best soil I've worked with for this type of bed because of it being deep root weeded over time.
Here is my most recent testimonial from this project:
"James is organized, thorough and reliable. He finished a project in our yard on schedule, and right on budget; I found his work to be excellent and comprehensive. James is collaborative and strives to be client-centered, but his expertise is such that he offers consultation to help stage a project and to maximize whatever aspect of your garden needs improvement.
I particularly appreciated how he checked in on progress, updated bids quickly and accurately, and was easy to be around. Working with James on our garden was an entirely positive experience. I would recommend him most highly for projects, large and small. Just a great worker with strong ethic and excellent customer service. Be sure to sign up for his emails. They are always useful and instructive. Thanks a lot!"
Leslie Fuchs
Ashland, OR
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