Connecting with the Earth
This summer we decided to plant an organic garden. I guess there were many reasons for this, the primary being that we did not want to depend on the food distribution chain for our survival and realized the importance of eating local, so we decided to get as local as possible, our side yard. So, my parents had a large organic garden in the 70s and 80s in Illinois where I grew up. We grew many things including huge pumpkins that we would offer for sale during Halloween (see photo at the bottom of the About Us section). You would think that I would have learned something about gardening growing up with it and being forced to tagalong to the family farm. Unfortunately not. At that age I just wanted to sunbathe in the boat in pond. Since Robert and I had no idea what we were doing, we contacted our friend, Architect Peter Lombardi, who knows all about living and thriving in harmony with nature. He suggested Gardensoxx, a simple method for growing a garden anywhere, including a balcony of an apartment. The picture shows the Soxx which are filled with compost, tied in with an irrigation tube connected to a garden hose with a timer. Super easy! We have been enjoying salads from our garden almost every night including having more huge yellow squash than we know what to do with, so our friends and lawn guys are getting “presents”. Also, another thing we learned was an organic way to kill weeds with this mixture. No need to poison the earth with Round Up.
Weed-Be-Gone
1 gallon 30% Vinegar (extra strong vinegar)
2 cups Epson Salt
1/4 cup dish soap
The garden has done more than feed our bellies. It has been a key part of feeding our souls as we connect more with nature. There is something extremely healing about working the earth and communing with nature. It is who we are at the core, before so many moved into the big cities and spent our time in cubicles for work and square boxes for living.
About the Author: Rebecca Paris, formerly Rebecca Becker, is a former advertising professional and VP of Marketing for United Way of Atlanta as well as an artist. She is the founder and Executive Director of Raising the Vibe, a 501 (C)(3) nonprofit, and is now offering her services as a Gene Keys and Spiritual Guide. In addition to blogging, Rebecca has authored the free Ebook, The Matrix Resurrections Unraveled, to unpack the nature of our reality exposed in this latest Matrix movie.