Garden arts includes growing and using plants of course, but also arts and crafts, as well as raising small livestock including goats and chickens.
Whether you live in a loft in the heart of Manhattan or out on 150 acres in Eastern Oregon, there are garden arts waiting to be rediscovered or learned for the very first time.
One hundred years ago, life in America moved at a slower pace. The majority of Americans lived on small farms, tended gardens from which they derived a substantial portion of their food, raised chicken and ducks, and kept a couple cows from which milk, cheese, and butter were made.
The sun rose in the morning, but by then most folks had been up for a few hours tending to the livestock.
There were daily, weekly, and seasonal chores.
On the farm itself, fields needed to be planted and harvested, tools maintained, and construction of all manner of outbuildings. Wood required cutting, splitting, and stacking.
In the house, chores included cooking and cleaning, baking, and washing.
I don't much want to go back in time and wear myself out at a washboard or in front of a woodstove (though they bake the best bread), but I would like to incorporate more simplicity in my life.
To like minded spirits, this site is dedicated.
We are just a couple friends who happen to like gardening and enjoying what we can produce on ordinary city lots. Of course we fantasize having acreage in the country and being completely self-sustaining. Maybe that will happen ... and maybe not. In the meantime, we believe that we can help heal our piece of earth and have fun doing it. We hope you enjoy our labor of love and find value and inspiration here. And we hope you'll take a moment to share your garden arts with us, too.
© GardenArts 2008