The Science of Gardening

Knowing how many horticultural practices are based on anecdotal evidence from one's neighbor or grandmother; their validity; an unregulated wave of gardening products and practices; accessing science-based information to create a sustainable garden.

Many make landscape choices based on plant aesthetics; learning to first identify the location's topography, prevailing winds, hydrology, soil type and other environmental factors; choosing a plant well-suited for the long term.

Unless one lives in an undeveloped area, chances are that their home garden soil is not native; learning what makes a great soil; determining approximate amounts of clay, silt and sand; looking at nutrients and pH before purchasing any soil addition.

Plants cannot grow without a supportive microbiome; plant roots, bacterial sheathes and long filaments of fungus function to support the plant's growth; enhancing the uptake of water and nutrients; the effects of adding unnecessary fertilizers.

Native plants are always a better home-garden choice than non-natives; they thrive in the soils and ecosystems of the area; probing whether garden science supports those truths; how introduced species can enhance garden and landscape biodiversity.

Landscaping provides privacy, protects soils from erosion, moderate temperature and manages storm-water runoff; learning how to select the appropriate plants with respect to morphology, growth rates and physiology; achieving specific goals.