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AVANT-GARDENING: CREATIVE ORGANIC GARDENING Welcome !  " You Can Grow "

"Confronted with the vision of a beautiful garden,
we see something beautiful about ourselves..."
Jeff Cox

PROMOTING A SUSTAINABLE ORGANIC GARDENING COMMUNITY Sustainable organic gardening is more than just a means of providing food, it is a model of what is possible within a community. Everyone could have a some kind of an organic garden and grow healthy, nutritious organic food - and promote a more  sustainable way of living, encouraging others to garden, create a local gardening economy, a farmers market providing an arena to discuss organic gardening experiences and sell their extra organic produce, share the bounty, and pass along their knowledge of organic gardening and how to make it sustainable. Most of the nation's food is produced by less than 2% of the population, so by having a small organic garden everyone could be part of the solution.

GIANNANGELO FARMS SOUTHWEST

Thirty plus years of sustainable organic gardening experience is a pleasure to pass on. It is challenging to explain our gardening connection to the earth and her beauty. For us, it is an expression of Truth, Beauty and Goodness. Truth - discovering predictable patterns and laws of the universe while gardening, working with the cause and effect of our actions; Beauty - always seeking its perfect expresssion in that perfect vegetable or flower; and Goodness - sharing the bounty from our gardens.
Creating a sustainable organic garden near  El Morro National Monument in Northwestern New Mexico has been a challenging affair - gardening in a high altitude (7300') desert environment is exceedingly difficult, we have a short growing season, erratic spring winds, and a remarkable range of temperatures. These conditions require a great deal of innovation, planning, knowledge, faith, hope, and persistence, to create a sucessful garden. Everything we learn about gardening we are trying to share, that others may be inspired to grow their own garden.

Our perennial organic gardens are planted in a clay-based soil which helps hold water, and with a good layer of mulch made from our own compost, everything thrives. Culinary herbs, hardy succulents, sedums, and rhubarb grow among native wildflowers mixed in with the annual and perennial flowers for bouquets.  Pinon Pine (in danger from rising temperatures and global warming) and juniper trees provide needed shade to add protection from harmful UV rays, and years of dropped needles have broken down and made a rich acid humus to balance the alkaline soil and create a fertile soil for the plants nestled beneath them. A rock garden is interspersed with artifacts, metal objects, trinkets, objects d'art.
We begin the organic gardening season by sifting our compost and adding it to our growing beds. Then we plant organic seeds we have saved, acclimated to this high desert; non-GMO heritage seeds; or certified organic seeds. Lettuce, spinach, chard, other tender salad greens and kale grow inside the  GreenzBox,  a self-contained raised bed growing box covered with shade cloth which conserves water, nutrients, and protects tender grees from harmful UV rays - we have had spinach grow for an entire season without bolting. Raised vegetable beds are planted with Chardonnay carrots, Detroit and Cylindra beets, Broccoli and Cauliflower, Evergreen bunching onions, yellow onions, and asparagus.
In the greenhouse we start organic plants for sale in the spring, and some seedlings for ourselves. We mulch our gardens with compost to conserve water and keep the roots cool for optimum growth. We try to provide ideal conditions for each plant and we hope for a successful harvest.
One of the gardening beds is for a special variety of  Zuni winter squash (a local heirloom organic seed from the Zuni Pueblo near the Arizona/New Mexico Border) that has a mottled leaf which is conditioned by a single dominate gene. Other varieties of winter and summer squash grow in different beds, their long vines trailing down a slope or trellised up the coyote fence. Tomatoes (one organic variety of seed we have saved and planted for 30 years) grow in containers on the front porch, which faces east protecting them from the intense mid-day sun, and keeping temperatures a bit higher at night. In another raised bed, organic cucumbers and butternut squash are trellised on hog wire, keeping them off the ground. Behind them, a coyote fence supports scarlet runner beans, edible pod peas, and shelling peas.
Flat rocks stacked high make a platform for bird feeders and a bird bath.  Cliff Chipmunks sit in the feeders shelling sunflower seeds, stuffing their little cheeks. Spaces between the rocks allow the chipmunks to crawl in and out, play, and hide. We notice clumps of sunflowers germinating where a chipmunk buried them, and when they sprout they eat them too.
Some of the birds we see are House finches, Nuthatches, Pine Siskins, Sparrows, Western Bluebirds, Mountain Bluebirds, Lesser Goldfinches, Mourning Doves, Turtle Doves, Flickers, Flycatchers, Juncos, Scrub Jays, Pinon Jays, Goldfinches,  Northern Mockingbirds (our favorite), Meadowlarks, Lazuli Buntings, Grosbeaks, and Rufus-sided Towhees, Lewis Woodpeckers, Cowbirds, and an occasional hawk.
Everything we plant in a garden bed is organic and designed to benefit all wildlife: birds, frogs, toads, butterflies, moths, bees, and other beneficial insects. In the high desert a sustainable organic garden needs to include a source of drinking water for the beneficial insects that help polinate our fruits and vegetables.

YouTube: Watch a coyote eating our bird seed block!



Large goldfish live in a rock-lined pond with a built-in waterfall. A small pump re-circulates the water and the sound of running water attracts more birds than the seed we feed them because water is so scarce in the high desert. We see them drink water from the pond and take baths in the waterfall.

HOW TO GROW A SUSTAINABLE ORGANIC GARDEN "The Acts of Today are the Destiny of Tomorrow."

What is Sustainable Organic Gardening? Sustainable Organic Soil Building - Learn how you can make sustainable organic soil and why it is so important to grow and eat organic food and why you should buy organic and non GMO heirloom seeds. We nurture ourselves as we nurture our gardens, renewing our connection with the earth and her beauty, thereby reducing stress on the world's finite resources, and strengthening our  community as a whole in the process. Without community we can be overwhelmed by forces that seem outside our control - we can pool our enthusiasm, our resources, our knowledge, thereby becoming less isolated, and, together, we can grow.
Garden Pests and Organic Control How to recognize those garden pests and control them organically and sustainably! Where to get organic pesitcides.
The "GreenzBox"  - Promoting a Sustainable Organic Gardening Community The ultimate organic gardening solution - a "GreenzBox" - build one yourself with our free plans and find out why it works. It is a simple 4' x 8' (32 square feet) raised bed garden based on the principles of bio-intensive planting and square foot gardening.
Composting for Sustainable Organic Gardening Composting is the ultimate recycling process and the key to sustainability.
Companion and Bio-Intensive Planting - how to maximize space in your organic garden and how to maximize the symbiotic and chemical relationships between plants.
Giannangelo Farms Workshops SPRING/SUMMER WORKSHOPS The Greenzbox; Sustainable Organic Gardening; Rockwork; Strawbale Walls; and Labyrinths.
Organic Seed Starting Guide When and how to start organic seeds indoors, and when to plant them outside.
Botany Basics Basic botany, simplified.
Xeriscape Organic xeriscaping is landscaping with slow-growing, drought tolerant organic and sustainable plants, trees, and shrubs, creating colorful, beautiful, perennial organic gardens in which plants are maintained with water-efficient practices such as heavy mulching for water conservation and slow organic feeding by releasing nutrients in the organic compost we use as mulch.
Permaculture Principles A diverse, complex sustainable organic ecosystem, where the all of the elements interact in mutually beneficial ways to produce a whole which is greater than the sum of its parts. The ideal for a sustainable organic garden.
Creative Organic Garden Design When surrounded by a planned physical beauty, plants will respond to the garden's aesthetics as well as responding to the organic conditions supplied for them.
Labyrinths A metaphor of life's journey, a pattern that creates a symbolic space. In our labyrinth, the path leads its way into the center of a concentric pattern of seven circles reflecting fact (physical), idea (mental), and relation (spiritual).

Sunstone Press in Santa Fe, New Mexico, recently published a book by Frank and Vicky Giannangelo, with photographs and essays about their New Mexico adventures in sustainable organic gardening, personal growth, community, and sustainability, titled "GROWING WITH THE SEASONS". It is available from the publisher Sunstone Press in Santa Fe, NM (505) 988-4418, or from  Amazon Books, or it can be ordered from a bookstore near you!  Read a great review! by Joan Richards, a volunteer The Lenhardt Library of the Chicago Botanic Garden

"Avant-Gardening Tid-Bytes Insights" "Avant-Gardening Tid-Bytes Insights" is a collection of essays published monthly from 2001 to 2008 about our adventures and spiritual growth while creating sustainable organic gardens in the high desert of New Mexico.
New Mexico's Wildflowers, Plants, Trees, and Wildlife The high altitude New Mexico desert area has low precipitation, strong spring winds, extreem temperature fluxuations, and alkaline clay or sandy soils. Even under such harsh conditions, spectacular annuals and perennials bloom. These are photos of plants, trees, and wildlife that we have seen in our area.
NEW! - Photos of Beautiful Gardens Take a Virtual Tour of Gardens Worldwide
NEW! - The Spirit of Gardening Quotes Over 3,500 Inspirational Quotations, Poems, Sayings, Quips, Links and References. Arranged by 140 Topics
Virtually visit! "One picture is worth a thousand words..." Take one of four photo tours:
Photo Tour I Former Home and its Formal, Patterened, Sustainable Organic Gardens and Ponds, Building a Straw Bale Wall, Formal Tea Garden, Organic Vegetable, Herb, and Flower Gardens
Photo Tour II Rescued Cats and Kittens, Pets, New Mexico Wildflowers and New Mexico Wildlife, and the Unique Ridges and Rock Formations in this geologically unique area
Photo Tour III Winter in New Mexico, Native New Mexico Trees and Shrubs, The World Around Us
Photo Tour IV Hand Building a Hogan Home, Organic Perennial Herb and Vegetable Gardens, Birds and Feeders, a Kiva Fire Pit, and a Goldfish Pond
Hardiness Zone Map and First and Last Frost Dates Use this map as a general reference when determining what organic garden and landscape plants will survive the climate in your area. First and last frost dates, and frost and freeze definitions.
"YOU CAN GROW! Sustainable Organic Gardening BLOG" Promote a Sustainable Organic Gardening Community - add your comments - read comments of others Live RSS Feeds: Google News, World Vision news; PBS Nature, U-Tube streaming videos about organic gardening, sustainability, and more; and a garden photo slide show.

"Go to the people, Live among them, Learn from them, Plan with them, Work with them, Start with what they know, build on what they have, teach by showing, learn by doing, not a showcase, but a pattern, not odds and ends but a system, not to conform but to transform, not relief but release." The Credo of Rural Reconstruction, developed by Dr. Y.C. James Yen

"You Can Grow" Organic Gardening CD Extensive Sustainable Organic Gardening Information, Organic Planting Techniques and Organic Garden Design, Inspirational Sayings, Quotes, Poems, Photos, an Introduction to Avant-Gardening: Creative Organic Gardening,
A selected collection of seasonal essays and organic garden photos, and more!
Organic Plants, Seeds, Foods, and Supplies Organic and Heirloom seeds, Herb, Flower, and Vegetable Seeds, Bulbs, Trees and Shrubs, Organic Soil and Organic Nutrients, Organic Fertilizers, Organic Pesticides, Gourmet Foods, Baby Foods, Organic Foods, Grocery Items, Clothing, Personal Care, Cleaning Supplies, Pet Foods, and more!
Gardening Books Organic Gardening & Horticulture, Sustainable Living, Organic Gardening Design, Sustainability, Greenhouses, Japanese Gardens, Landscaping and Garden Design, Animal and Pet Care, Home and Garden, Gardening Techniques, Regional Gardening
Gardening Supplies Backyard Birding, Garden Tools, Water Garden and Pond Supplies, Garden Decor, Teak Garden Patio Furniture, Garden Design Software, Grills, Hammocks, Organic Outdoor Products and Supplies
Resources and Links Web sites with abundant educational information about organic gardening, sustainable organic gardening growing techniques, and links to many other helpful sites
Genetic Engineering and Biodiversity Harvard biologist E.O. Wilson states in his book 'The Diversity of Life' that we have only identified about 10% of the species on our planet. Knowing so little about our world, why are we in such a hurry to alter it?
NEW! - Doctors Warn: Avoid Genetically Modified Food Genetically modified foods are linked to toxic and allergic reactions, sick, sterile, and dead livestock, and damage to virtually every organ studied in lab animals. (See summary in Genetic Roulette ) They are banned by food manufacturers in Europe and elsewhere, yet GMOs are present in the vast majority of processed foods in the US.
SHOPPING GUIDE   How to avoid buying foods made with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) The carbon footprint of any food in the local supermarket is incredible. Some foods come half-way around the world before we see them in our grocery stores and the shipping has contributed to huge gasoline emission. Wouldn't be prudent to grow our own food or buy organic produce when it is in season from a locally grown organic farm, garden, or a local farmers market?
 Most garden hoses leach lead!  Read out about lead free hoses.
Do you want to know how to determine your impact on the environment? - Use The Nature Conservancy's carbon footprint calculator to measure your impact on our climate: or use this Footprint Calculator to calculate your eco print on the environment.
A UK supermarket chain Tesco  announced in April 2009 that they were going to put carbon footprint labels on their products so that customers could make environmentally-based choices. What if there were a handheld scanner in every store so we could scan over an item to find out its carbon footprint and impact on the planet? This kind of tool would enable us to know what effect our buying choices have on our planet's environment and its limited resources.
TED - Technology, Entertainment, Design - an annual conference bringing together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives - watch the best talks and performances, for free! Join TED - create a profile page, contact other members, comment on the individual talks, save items to your favorites, and more.
"Watch Frans Lanting's - A lyrical view of life on Earth In this stunning slideshow, celebrated nature photographer Frans Lanting presents The LIFE Project, a poetic collection of photographs that tell the story of our planet, from its eruptive beginnings to its present diversity. Soundtrack by Philip Glass.

YouTube: How to Grow an Organic Vegetable Garden - Scott Meyer, editor of Organic Gardening magazine shows you how!

"The more contemplative gardener, seeing the garden as a whole, the design of it, and its nature as a still place of delight and refreshment, will wait and hope for the moment when it seems to achieve perfection. Awareness of when such moments are most likely helps to make them happen; they will not be entirely accidental, but anticipated; everything will be planned to encourage them." Susan Hill and Rory Stuart, Reflections from a Garden, 1995

Recommend This Sustainable Organic Gardening Site to a Friend!
             
Websites you might like to visit: Stratco   Conservatory Blinds   Appliance Parts Canada Wall Fountains - The natural sounds of trickling water down a water wall can create a soothing habitat to live or work in. Enjoy your beautiful yard with nice garden patio furniture - from patiofurniture.net Water Fountains - Soothing Walls offers a large selection of floor and wall water fountains for your home and garden. Bamboostyle.co.uk - garden products, furniture, gazebos and  Bamboo Poles Fountains   Water Fountains

RSS news feeds and News widgets

Watch Movies and TV Shows! Digital!





ClickBank Marketplace - E-books you might like relating to Organic Gardening: Organic Food Gardening Beginners Manual - learn How To Grow Healthy, Organic Food - Click Here! Start An Organic Garden With This Simple Guide - Click Here! Learn How To Start Your Own Organic Vegetable Garden At Home - Click Here! Make The Worlds Best Compost - Click Here! How To Build And Manage A Worm Farm To Suit The Average Family - Click Here! How to Design, Build, Set Up, Grow and Maintain A High Density Garden - Click Here! Produce 5-10 Times More Food While Using 1/2 The Water! - Click Here!



GreenPeople.org - Find eco-friendly products and services.


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Home Page    Sitemap    Botany Basics    "You Can Grow!" Workshops    Composting    Soil Building Hardiness Zone Map   WebRings    "You Can Grow" CD's   "Tid-Bytes" Insights   Garden Pests & Organic Controls Biodiversity and Genetic Engineering    New Mexico    Companion & Intensive Planting     Permaculture Labyrinths    Free E-Letter    Xeriscape     Photo Tour I    Photo Tour II    Photo Tour III    Photo Tour IV About Us    Seed Starting Guide    Creative Garden Design    The Greenzbox    Recommend This Site    Resources & Links Organic Products    General Gardening Supplies

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