About

Hi, I'm Organigirl. I'm a weed, pest, and gnome fighting superhero who loves to grow heirloom edibles in my urban garden. I've made mistakes and had successes, and on this blog you'll find the chronicles of my adventures in the garden. I have a few personal rules for how I grow my fruits and veggies, which are listed below.

GROW ORGANICALLY - I don't use chemical pesticides. Period. I've used neem oil on rare occasions, but aside from that I don't use any other organic pesticides. I don't like synthetic anything on my food, and I don't like adding anything to my garden that kills bugs because most bugs are helpful, either attacking harmful pests or pollinating fruit trees, squash, and other insect-pollinated plants.

GROW HEIRLOOMS - I like heirloom vegetables because they're close to nature (no GMOs for me please!) and because they've been bred carefully for their desirable traits which have proven themselves beneficial over time. I like to use my purchasing power to support companies that sell heirloom seed because they're preserving a part of agricultural history. In addition, companies that exclusively sell heirloom seed also seem to prefer growing with organic methods. I like that. I don't think hybrid plants are evil (genetically modified plants are another story...), but I prefer heirlooms because their seeds can be saved and planted with predictable offspring, and I'm gradually learning how to save seeds so I can carry on the seed saving traditions of generations of our gardening fore-bearers.

GROW SIMPLY - I rarely use fertilizers. I believe that compost is among the best soil amendments and use it generously, but I almost never use other fertilizers, not even those that are organic. Plants grow in nature without our manufactured help, and I like to make gardening as straightforward as possible so that it doesn't become overwhelming.

GROW SAFELY - I choose not to use pressure treated or painted wood in my garden beds. I realize that there is some controversy regarding the safety of using treated wood in the vegetable garden, but as of yet I'm not convinced that chemical soaked wood won't affect the quality and safety of my vegetables. I also don't like the idea of putting anything that contains chemicals in my garden, whether it's "safe" or not.

GROW AESTHETICALLY - I love the french potager. I believe a garden can be both useful as well as visually appealing. I'm slowly taking control of what was once an out of control and overgrown yard, and turning it into a beautiful and peaceful space - which also happens to be almost entirely filled with edibles. My garden is a work in progress, but I don't believe that a vegetable garden needs to be completely utilitarian, and, in fact, I believe that a beautiful vegetable garden is more likely to succeed because the gardener who cares for it is more likely to want to spend time in it.

I've learned that the garden is an unpredictable place, and therefore a place of mystery. Every day brings new challenges and new victories. I hope that as I continue my gardening adventures that you'll begin adventures of your own, and that you'll discover that while gardening is great for keeping one's appetite satiated, it can also feed the soul.