When I sum up my philosophy of this life with acreage as well as having a garden, my invented and hybridized word for what we do is this one: "Edenized," meaning returning the earth to an ideal state of looking and behaving something like the biblical Garden of Eden.
Whether you are an avowed atheist or a believer of any faith, I think everyone can probably get behind the general idea of being a good steward and making each place you touch the absolute best it can be.
The idea of a Garden of Eden has become a symbolic representation of a place where nature was perfectly balanced with the needs of all who lived within it, and where everything coexisted in harmony. To me it means cultivating the land you need while also leaving some uncultivated land in its best but also most natural state, for the creatures who were here before you came and will continue to inhabit the land long after you're gone.
If there ever truly was a Garden of Eden, it happened long before mankind showed up en masse and took over. But I believe the story is important (whether you believe it in reality or not) because it puts forth as good the idea of letting nature just be nature and seeing that as a kind of perfection, in and of itself.
To that end, when this house was built 11 years before we moved here, the top of the hill was scraped off in order to build on level ground. But not all the land that was leveled was built on. There is a large area which our back yard overlooks where nothing happened except our leach field was run across it, but the scars left from scraping the hill are still apparent.
If you walk around on it, the ground gradually gets more fertile as the slope of the hill increases, while there is an almost scorched quality to what's flat. That, of course, is because of topsoil. The place where the land literally had its skin scraped off is incapable of growing very much.
Until now.
I recently got the idea of using the yard waste plus waste shavings and poop from the chicken coop and distributing it along the hilltop -- along with some wildflower seeds. The fecal matter and shavings should provide a little nutrition and protection, and with just a bit more rain (which we are supposed to get next week) it might be possible to get a first generation of flowers started here.
From now on I intend to scatter the shavings and chicken poo, along with lawn clippings and anything else that will biodegrade nicely out there, in order to start building back topsoil that was lost 11 years ago and never replaced.
No reason The Garden of Eden shouldn't be here, too. Gonna Edenize this hilltop.
How exciting to have your own reclamation project in progress! And using "resources" from your own property. I also agree with you that the concept of Eden can be easily divorced from religion. It's just harmony in nature. Hoping for rain for you. Seems we'll be getting plenty here.
ReplyDeleteJealous of your rain and I'm sure spring will not be far behind. We're in full swing here. El Nino turned out to be a big bust, we had one of the driest Februarys in memory. Oh well, it's the new normal.
DeleteWhat a terrible shame. And this was/is such a strong El Niño, too. Here is your schadenfreude silver lining-though it is acting like spring and probably will do so all through March, we will still have strong, killing frosts in late April and May. It never fails. So people will rush to the nursery and plant their annuals and then have to do it all over again after May 15. I'm just hoping maybe the warmth will be here for Easter as id love to have one outdoor Easter lunch in my life!
DeleteOK I am spoiled; Easter lunch outside is kind of a given here. As for the weather, people seem to have forgotten here in CA that El Nino DOES mean a lot of rain, but it doesn't always fall HERE. Could be in Mexico, or Washington State, or even back east as you're experiencing. I truly think the storm track is moving more to the north, permanently, though, which will bring a lot of changes in coming years.
DeleteI like your idea of the wild flower seeds and manure to bring life back to that barren zone.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
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ReplyDeleteWhen we moved to our current house with its heavily wooded backyard, my father wanted to clear the "underbrush" and 'neaten it up a bit'. I explained to him that the fallen dead trees not only provided nutrients to the soil, they also provided habitat to the fauna. We have a small lawn in back, but the rest looks like a park. The front is fairly wooded so that means less lawn care and more nature to enjoy. I don't think I could do better than mother nature in the landscaping department.
ReplyDeleteIt's so true. Our parents' generation seemed to always want to "improve" what mother nature had put down, but thankfully our generation has come to understand the wisdom in things like dead and decaying plant matter, dead trees, etc. That's one thing we got right I guess!
DeleteLovely! And I so agree w/letting the earth return to it's natural environment, with a little help from chicken poo!
ReplyDeleteChicken poo is truly magical in its restorative qualities. But I suspect goat and sheep poo would be even better! Someday soon.
DeleteI wish you luck with this. Under your care, there is no doubt that whatever happens will be worlds better than where you started.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I think re-building topsoil is such an important thing, especially on a hill like this. It would be nice to see things growing out there!
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