Planting an ecosystem in your garden!

When you plant organic gardens with diversity in mind, you create multiple benefits by working with natural systems to generate your own ecosystem. Once the insect diversity gets built, there's an equilibrium, or homeostasis that saves you work, increases yields, reduces overall insect damage and creates hours of entertaining interactions between plants and organisms.
Diversity = Stability.
Growing food at home can be a rewarding experience!
Join the fun here:
gardenclub.growfoodwell.com/w...

[@selecttravelvacations7472]

Would love to see this watched by all high school and college students. A beautiful production. Thank you for gifting us with it.

[@Pausereflectandbreathe]

Thank you for this inspiring video! I live in a neighborhood with HOA but i still garden from back, side and front. I camouflage the edibles with edible flowers and flowering vines for my grapes. So far neighbors are not complaining except the guy in charge that like to take pictures of what he thinks shouldn't be there. 😮 He took a picture of my pots on the side of the garage and my husband sent a plan back to the email and it was approved. So my pots will stay where i want them to be. My backyard didnt have a fence but i planted dwarf fruit trees this year, added more raise beds and big pots for more fruit trees. Some neighbors enjoyed visiting my garden and complimented how nice my garden is because they are gardeners as well but retired so they can't handle too much plants. Kids enjoyed hunting strawberries in my strawberry raise bed and grapes hiding from the big vines leaves. With the internet world, i asked my kids to go out and harvest veggies to get off the chair and get some sun. I noticed they are happy when they are outside. They might complain but when they are outside, they play with the clay soil, bugs in the garden and our neighbors dog. I still make mistakes so I love to learn more. Videos like this inspire me to do better. So thank you for sharing your knowledge of what works for you! God bless! ❤️🙏

[@sansomspressurecleaningpoo9519]

I don’t know if you live in Florida or not but they passed a law. They’re not letting everybody know. You can grow food in any part of your property. Even if you live in a POA or an HOA.

[@dianaweatherford5005]

This is true. Fl statute 604.71. However, many HOAs are not considered political subdivisions (they are private entities) and are allowed by state and/or local govts to make and enforce their own rules. So they can still regulate gardens, and fine you for not complying. It's still a gray area.

[@4thHouseOnTheRight]

Same re: the HOA and I live lakeside on an open lot so there are SO MANY rules. I was very strategic when I started. But in the summer of 2022 I grew luffa & cucumbers that grew like mad & made a living privacy fence. All the neighbors were so intrigued (I always share my bounty with anyone walking by) and the HOA never made a peep. In fact, one of the board members walked by once and we had a very long conversation about what & why we grow. I do what I please ever since 😉

[@geedee2420]

This is why it's so important to vote in your LOCAL ELECTIONS... Don't let someone else choose your Sheriff Prosecutor Judges County Supervisors Town Council Members School Board Members and other LOCAL OFFICIALS for you... Even your H.O.A. members.

[@selecttravelvacations7472]

My HOA tried to take me from an agreed 5 pots up front, to 1. 😂. I drove up the street to a woman that had 7 pots all lined up in a row (concrete planters) and sent it to them. My pots stayed! 😂

[@rosehill1595]

Love your garden, especially the mud wall - looks great! I'm not sure what a successful zone 10 garden might look like but I promise you it will be nothing like yours. Our quirky weather, our sub-tropical climate, and brutal summers pose a great many challenges - never mind hurricanes ... The trick is finding what will grow and what grows well with each other. We're almost there but it takes time and in our changing climate creating a shade canopy is a must. I learned this year that some sunflowers are only ornamental, not edible:). There are no cellars in Florida much less root cellars so that is not an option etc... But we are blessed with two growing seasons and many perennials from herbs to veggies and who doesn't like bananas off the tree or as banana chips. I wish I could grow apples and sweet cherries but we have passion fruit and plenty of wild Elderberries.

[@Kat-Knows]

i so agree! i am in Texas & overcoming the heat damage that can happen in the garden is my biggest challenge, that & the giant grasshoppers who love the heat & can chew thru tulle to eat on the plants i have tried to protect from them.

[@denisefaust6408]

Oooh Elderberries! These are very healthy and you can make good home remedies with those. I buy from local Organic growers that make Elderberry Syrup. I don’t have space to grow them but I’m happy to support 2 young families that sell @ our local Farmer’s Market. You can always buy fruits to support the small growers. We have Amish also that I like to support and I do buy what I don’t have space to grow myself.

[@maryschaefer9371]

Hi Tom, thanks for the informative videos and keep them coming. I am wondering if you ever cover crop? And what are your thoughts on it for some of us that don't have the space for a a composting system? Thanks again Mary

[@mikebarocco8465]

Tom, this is THE MOST awesome, informative gardening video that I have watched. (and I have watched thousands!) It could be a thesis for my approach to my back yard garden/ecosystem. If there is one video a gardener should watch, this is it. Thank you tom, thank you!

[@GrowFoodWell]

Thanks for your kind review. I try to design the content to allow others to understand the flow that can happen when you align with natural systems. Sounds like you heard that, and that makes me happy. Cheers.

[@paulanderson1915]

Enjoy your videos very much.Thank you!

[@remac7941]

Amazing video.

[@Aroobydoo]

This is priceless information and education. Food scarcity, droughts, global warming - there are many impactful topics which this "philosophy" of land stewardship provides us a fighting chance I have personally seen the benefit in how much more water is retained when I started mulching and composting. This spring has been dry and hot and I have not needed to water once (besides starting out some seedlings :) ). Thank you for your time and care in creating this video

[@GrowFoodWell]

Thanks for your kind review. I agree. The more people connect with the biosphere through understanding food and where it comes from, the better off we will all be. Aligning with the living components of the ecosystem as partners just makes basic sense to me. Cheers.

[@maryzimmerman2699]

Looks great

[@Marie-yx5ie]

Thank you so much for all that fantastic and well explained information 👍😉🇨🇮☘️Eire

[@whatgrowsnext]

Beautiful garden inspiration, thank you!

[@GrowFoodWell]

You are so welcome!

[@andrewrussell3796]

What a great video. Thank you

[@jpoornakumar5262]

Really inspiring video. Thank you very much.

[@brentjenkinsdesigns]

That's an awesome idea!!

[@dipologlove]

I'm glad I stumbled upon this video! It makes me think about how I stopped using organic pesticides and will continue since it's amazing when you let nature handle things. This video is just a sign to continue connecting with nature and me being the conductor of my garden.

[@dravonwalker2352]

Marvelous! I love trying to create these thriving masses of life. My husband loves the aesthetic of monoculture in neat constrained rows. It’s been challenge to find the balance there… Thank you for a beautiful, informative, and inspiring video.

[@victoriaquijada9632]

Thank you very much! Very helpful.

[@GrowFoodWell]

Glad it helped!

[@rurydermawan9977]

Great, very inspiring thank you uncle

[@nomakhayamgcina1020]

What an AWE inspiring video. Thank you for taking the time to make it. Absolutely beautiful.

[@GrowFoodWell]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@MissZ1KCMO]

❤ Beautiful 😍

[@justinbrown819]

God bless you. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience

[@GrowFoodWell]

You are very welcome

[@marymanuel6980]

What a beautiful garden you have! I would love to have such a huge garden with all these wonderfully healthy plants. The photography/video was as beautiful as the plants themselves. You can see the vibrant colors and the great quality in these organic plants. You have the best and most beautiful garden here. You have to be so proud. Thank you so much for sharing! What state are you in?

[@loosenatural8171]

Greetings from the LooseNatural farm in Andalusia Spain where we currently implement what you so generously shared

[@user-uj1bm3wd9g]

Wow beautiful

[@artbyadrienne6812]

😊 Amazing!

[@michelm3624]

Very inspiring video Tom , will you be looking into electroculture also?

[@jaimietollison7722]

Inspiring

[@azamshakoor3098]

Nice overview,, inspiring as well thx🇮🇳

[@lindaripp5902]

Thanks

[@sandramorton5510]

Thank you for this video, I am working hard to get my backyard Eco System to flourish.

[@jeancampbell4341]

great video.

[@GrowFoodWell]

Thanks!

[@wendycullingworth3879]

Fabulous! Just the perfect video to share with friends who I'm encouraging to have a go at creating their first garden and be self sufficient. Beautifully captured to film and a delightful video to watch. Thank you. 👏👏🌻🌽🌾🌼🍃🌱

[@Sencman1]

Wow. Thanks so much for the inspiration. You have been truly blessed with life's wisdom and you share it for free. Imagine our world if we all tried our best to be like you.

[@maggitracy3914]

So you kind of ditch the Recommended spacing? It’s just awesome to see everything so healthy growing right next to each other. Thank you for this.😊

[@GrowFoodWell]

This is only possible due to deeply amended beds. Harder to get away with it in more compacted soils or beds that haven't had the soil food web enacted. But yes, if you take care to amend beds with good compost over time, you can use intensive spacing based on the canopy size of each plant variety to create wall to wall growth. Its very rewarding. Cheers.

[@TRUFIVE50]

But what about squash bugs? There just doesn't seem to be a balance for squash bugs. Squash bugs make me want to cry...

[@sharonloomis5264]

Max solar plant canopy? Sounded like you said plants catch sun? 😮

[@sansomspressurecleaningpoo9519]

Please tell us about your solar infrared dryer

[@endoneswa]

The problem at the very beginning is the weed and grass outcompete the crops. How can I grow food?

[@cherylkirksey]

From left to right… what’s in this garden????? Maybe I can recreate it with what I want to grow?🤷🏽‍♀️

[@wes_tone_thinks]

Do you have a composting toilet system? This is a huge source of fertility within the home many gardeners don’t utilize.

[@Growing916]

How does that work??

[@tonik9724]

Check your municipality regulations, many areas don't allow toilet composting and some don't allow rain catchment for use as drinking water.

[@MsCaterific]

💟

[@andyjones8350]

Are you going to put up anymore videos soon??

[@geraldhowse8597]

Beautiful, absolutely beautiful

[@GrowFoodWell]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@ThelittleQuerque]

Hello. Can you say what growing zone you're in? Your wall looks like mine and it seems like you're in the desert areas like I am. I need to improve my garden and it seems like you're able to help. I am in zone 7b in one of the Four Corners states

[@GrowFoodWell]

Zone 6b the four corners

[@tuffy2242]

I have a question about how infrastructure relates to health of the system. If i need firm paths between many 4'x8' garden beds, that for example a stroller wheel, cart wheel, or wheelchair wheel won't sink into in the wet season (not even into a crevice between slabs), what substance for those paths are best? I see you're using slate or stone and bare ground. I've tried both gravel and plain DG, it doesn't stay firm enough. Wheels fall into it. I've tried a thick grass planting--it gets too soggy in the wet season, and it is more work to maintain at good height. I hesitate to use the resinated/'treated' DG (which might work) because it's a chemical that might kill needed organisms and, it doesn't allow the highly beneficial process of water soakage into the ground. Concrete is similar, it seems like a 'desert'-no water soakage, no organisms can live in or around there. What do you suggest? Do firm paths decrease this multi-organism-plant connection? Thanks 🙏

[@GrowFoodWell]

Hmmm.. If you really need a specific stroller wheel or wheelchair wheel then you might measure to that width, and place some recycled plastic deck boards at the wheel spacing and spike into the soil in flat position so it creates sort of a rail system for wheels. Percolation happens around it, no chems, and won't get muddy.

[@Kat-Knows]

i have used old rolls of roofing shingle sheets, like old shinges. works great.

[@tuffy2242]

@@GrowFoodWell interesting idea--thanks!

[@tuffy2242]

@@Kat-Knows that's interesting too! thank you

[@maryrose6229]

They have recycled rubber in squares and circles for pathways….you can lay them close together for a stroller…. Otherwise flagstone.

[@lindalyc]

it looks so crowded in your garden. how about air, sun...etc when everything squeezing together? thanks

[@GrowFoodWell]

With biointensive methods, each plant variety has its own spacing to optimize growing conditions and out-compete weeds. They all get plenty of sun, air etc.

[@williamlevy6964]

As I mature in my life I am beginning to truly understand that gardening is the meaning of life for humans. That and hunting. Once the garden is tended to, we are supposed to go and fish and hunt prey animals of our own and consume them. The most important point is that we have individual control and education over our personal garden territories and that we feed our sons, daughters, nephews, nieces, fathers, mothers, aunties, uncles, grandfathers and grandmothers with the nourishment from our personal gardens. It returns power to the slaves of our world. Tend the garden, hunt the animals, groom ourselves (Skin, hair and teeth) and exercise, socialise and eat together. The powers that be do not want small community. They want patriotic slaves forever in debt to banks living in fear of losing their jobs.

[@ttvgifted3171]

This comment is spot on. Also i wanna add something we’ve literally evolved to be hunter and gathers for many many years. You feel like you’re filling your purpose when you do it.

[@trinsit]

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