From my garden to yours

A decade or two ago, with my flock of children staring down the road toward college, I took a several year hiatus from growing my garden while pursuing a less risky career option (as an electrician at the Mousehouse). Upon my return to the daily dance with Mother Nature, the remnants of my garden were in dire need of refurbishment. Once the framework of fences, greenhouse, water supply, growing beds and other functional pieces were in place, the routine of growing crops commenced. Never one to be satisfied with a routine, I began to innovate.

After the basics are initially created, wanting to improvise and improve the garden are as much of the fun as sticking seeds in the soil. During long hours of seemingly repetitive work, the gears of my mind are churning to the point of distraction. Dreaming is free, but creation beyond the dream requires commitment and cash. The dedication of spending choices toward innovation instead of merely reaping the profits of labor is recognized by many as the first steps toward sainthood. Gardening is a labor of love for me, plus I would rather spend the cash in my backyard than at the mall.

Innovating beyond success appears to be the problem behind many of the world’s symptoms. If a little fertilizer grows the plants to their full potential, why not add a lot of fertilizer? Spraying for bugs when damage is first noticed may control the holes in the beets, but spraying on a Monday and Thursday just in case now disrupts the beneficial predatory insect cycle. The feedback loop of innovation must be recognized as important as the implementation.

Irrigation is an area where we can easily apply the principles of innovation. Never one to stand idly by while schlepping a watering can through the garden, a succession of sprinklers were tried and discarded. Based on the design and shape of my garden, I cobbled together PVC pipes and fittings into a hot-rod contraption that waters several long growing beds in a few easy moves. Not leaving well enough alone, a timer on the hose allows me to tackle other projects and not to worry about wasting water and inconsistent soil saturation. But the timer valve constricted the water flow to the point of leaving the plants on the edges dry.

Our civilization has more potential to innovate than at any other time in history. The blank canvases our gardens provide allow us to easily practice this esoteric science. Pick a project you love, immerse yourself in that project, and enjoy the art of innovating for its own sake.