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Friday Favorite: The Little Things

September 2nd, 2016

One of my favorite things about gardening is that it makes me slow down and notice the little things in nature. Whether it’s the tiny pollinators hovering over the cilantro blooming, or the way different plants change throughout the season. This past week I was pulling the green beans and was fascinated by the nitrogen nodules on the roots.
nitrogen nodules on bean roots
The beans were pulled and layered on the soil right where they were planted. They will smother any weeds and provide a nitrogen rich mulch. There’s no point in taking them to the compost pile when they will break down by next spring. I’m all about finding more efficient ways to accomplish my goals.
mulching with pulled plants
If you have children, gardening can be a fantastic way to get them interested in biology and science. It’s a great learning opportunity, particularly in teaching them about symbiotic relationships. I love knowing that these green beans are harvesting nitrogen and providing it to the plants growing around them and the plants that will follow them. It’s an amazing process and one I am so happy to be able to observe!

What amazing things have you noticed in the garden this week?

One Comment to “Friday Favorite: The Little Things”
  1. Nebraska Dave on September 2, 2016 at 8:48 am

    Susy, gardens are an amazing balance of nature. As you say, the hovering insects, the birds scratching and pecking freshly dug dirt, plant growth, and just over all beauty as they furnish the food we eat. It truly is a symbiotic relationship of life. Many times sitting and enjoying the garden has given me renewed energy and a sense of accomplishment in an other wise chaotic world. Hopefully my symbiotic garden relationship will continue for a long time into old age.

    Have a great enjoying the garden moment day.

    Reply to Nebraska Dave's comment

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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