"Caring for ecosystems demands farsightedness…"
Pope Francis, Laudato Si’, On Care For Our Common Home
Caring for the ecosystem which is our backyard garden does take a little foresight to ensure that the soil is ready for planting next spring. Garden experts recommend that we remove the dying plants to eliminate any pests or diseases they might harbor, and prune back the perennials. Time too to enrich the soil with the compost you may have been making all spring and summer. Those autumn leaves which are littering your lawn can serve a dual purpose as a free mulch that warms your soil and a natural fertilizer that breaks down to enrich the earth. Six inches or more of any leaves except black walnut are recommended for your garden's winter "mulch blanket." Leaves can also be used to make your next batch of compost. Using leaves as mulch and compost is an easy, cost-effective recycling of Creation. God's Creation gives us the tools to protect and nourish it, to ensure its continuing productivity. We have but to act with care.
Remember to watch the free documentary: Need To Grow at Food Revolution Network and join Creation Care Team at 7:00 PM, November 17 for a Zoom discussion of its content. To register for the Zoom conversation, email Barb Leonard at [email protected].
Creation Care Team contact: Marie Myer