Huw Richards: Why I’ve Stopped Caring as Much in the Garden | The Kitchen Garden Ep6
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List of additional harvests: https://huwrichards.substack.com/p/master-list-of-additional-harvests
I've learned to relax a bit more with my garden and it helps to keep the joy. Each year, there will always be something that fails and always be something that exceeds expectations. That's just the way mother nature rolls. As far as planning goes, there are some beds in which I grow the same thing year after year so as to keep myself from getting overwhelmed. I save some beds for experimentation of course because I love to chance things and learn. I love your sweet peas!
New Zealand yam are yummy, and once you plant them, you'll always have them. A bit like us New Zealanders really, give us good company and a drink(beer) and we will be your mate forever. Kia Kaha, Huw 🌻
You’ve shared much great advice in this video! I’m at the point where you are having been a gardener for many years and finally focused much more on polyculture, experimenting, and the enjoyment of the garden and the ecosystem within the garden. I recommend your videos all the time, because I love your approach. I also loved the back and forth with you and Sam about the microbes 😂
Huw, you've inspired me to turn my rather boring studio patio raised bed border into a more of a polyculture…experiment! I added four 4' x 2' x 1' raised beds and have had so much fun just willy nilly putting plants in wherever they can fit, somewhat keeping in mind their growth habits and mature heights. Mixing and matching herbs, a few veggies, and flowers. It's early days, so I'm keen to see what kind of delightful artistic chaos I've got a month or two into summer. I really enjoy your videos and books!
As a small person with a dodgy back, I use pots, bags, buckets and tubs for crops and some flowers. If I spot a gap in the border, I grab a bucket that is already planted up and just plonk it down to fill in and make use of the space. Best of both worlds of planned and unplanned. Good fun.
We had 5 months drought – and instead of being upset by it, I decided to let it teach me what to plant and where, and how to make my garden more drought resistant. And you know, it was actually great – i learned about different plants and sought them out and wow what a transformation. So i kinda embrace the challenges – they’re just opportunities.
Adaptation is key, making a peaceful and rewarding place. By accident some volunteer nasturtium grew among the winter squash and attracted so many bees, and eventually more winter squash 🎉
Growing food is creating. Its not just creating a beautiful space, its creating a space for life to exist. I love that and that's been the most joyful thing for me on my 3rd season of growing.
I have taken that approach in my food forest. I have only a rough plan, and then I plant what strikes my fancy in the spaces in between. When something dies, I don't have to care because it means that I get to plant a new thing in that spot. I also plant too much of everything, and then losses don't matter so much.
Every spring, I have to fight, overwhelm from the size of my garden and the work that needs to be done. After a little self talk of one bite at a time, I get to work, and before I know it, the garden is ready. Things are growing, and the season is underway in spite of my overwhelm. Unless you’re fully depending on your garden for all your food, a relaxed approach is the best approach in my estimation.💚👏🏻👍🏻
Letting go is one of life's most important skills. After so many years of gardening, I have finally accepted the fact that sometimes it's best to rip out a failure and open a spot for a new success.
Hahaha but u know … Not having a plan for means I suddenly have strawberries, garlic and onions everywhere and spend hors in wondering around and trying to find good companions for my young plants. So I partly grow kale beside the actual bed now 😂 cause it s the only suitable place for them and helps that the side of the frame doesn't t dry out too bad 😅
Thanks for the fun video 😁😁 I have only a small shade house to grow in (Monkey and hail protection) so I have to do a fair amount of planning to be able to maximise the space, but I'm trying to be spontaneous in where I put the filler flowers and aromatic herbs.
I plant seeds in the spring, water if it’s dry, but basically just let the garden do it’s thing. Produces plenty of food all by itself.
The neighbor kid across the street from me started a garden this year. He’s out there every single day for hours at a time checking every little plant and doing God knows what else. He wears me out just watching him.
I got a diagnosis of prediabetes in Oct. This led to a revaluation about my diet and what I’d be planting in the garden. If I can’t eat it, no sense planting it..or so my reasoning went. This year, there are more flowers and plenty of joy in the garden. In fact, I find I’m thrilled that the violets are taking over and feeding the fritillaries. 🦋
Adore your videos Huw! Greetings from South Australia 🇦🇺 zone 5 Warm Temperate no rain to speak of here this year. Recommend some type of oya, deep watering and heavy mulch this growing season ☀️
This video has cut my garden anxiety more than any other video I've watched this year.
My seed starting space was unavailable for two months, and last week we just had our last rain until autumn. It's currently sunny and just a bit cool. I have been terrified that I had lost all the time I needed for planting, which is ridiculous, as we can grow into October with our insane heat and perpetual sun.
Now, I think I'm going to use the rototiller to loosen my over-compact cow pasture clay soil, top it with potting soil, and sow directly into that. Mulch heavily. I'll use cow ditch water to fill my IBC totes, and I'll use chlorine in those to avoid the E. coli that hit my husband. But first, I gotta cut back the meter-high grass 😂
having lived in many locations and climates I am now in West Central Texas and boy is it a challenge. Extremes and flip flopping weather have me really taking time to figure out what works. We get 90 degree days in winter and the weather can drop or raise up to 50 degrees F in 24 hours. The wind the flooding rains and drought periods and I love it. Sad to say growing cooler season veggies is very difficult but I just chalk it up to a bigger compost pile or chicken food when things bolt. Working with nature is the best
I am having a very similar experience. Last year, I was unable to take good care of my garden due to my work being overwhelming. In the autumn, I said I was done gardening. This spring I changed my mind and decided to plant much less and do what I can as well as make use of the farmers market. I already feel much less stressed. Cheers and happy gardening 💚
Your approach is similar to my first true garden, which is this year. Practically I studied all I could to get some better understanding, compost and topsoil. Luckily the local mulching supplier had a high grade blend of both. 3 cubic yards later, delivered in February and put in the garden the following weeks, i’ve direct sown practically everything in there, and have harvested already some snap peas, and it’s getting bigger by the day. The only extra fertilizer I put in was for corn and tomatoes, but that’s it.
It hit me that I just kind of hope for the best and while I had a plan that I planned over winter, that all just kind of fell to the wayside as everything filled in.
It’s luscious and green and delightful, and when I get home from work, it’s a little escape to remind me the world isn’t all bad.
TL;DR I don’t care what happens, but it all seems to be working out. And I’m alright with change.
Sweet peas (all flowers) are People Care, Huw ☺ I've challenged naysayers for years over flowers.. "Name one ecosystem other than Antarctica, (in its snow covered form) that doesn't include flowers" . I liked hearing Fun-gi's input in this one too (good points Sam) hope for your sake the new name doesn't stick 🙂 Relaxed is where the good stuff happens.
46 Comments
I've learned to relax a bit more with my garden and it helps to keep the joy. Each year, there will always be something that fails and always be something that exceeds expectations. That's just the way mother nature rolls. As far as planning goes, there are some beds in which I grow the same thing year after year so as to keep myself from getting overwhelmed. I save some beds for experimentation of course because I love to chance things and learn. I love your sweet peas!
New Zealand yam are yummy, and once you plant them, you'll always have them. A bit like us New Zealanders really, give us good company and a drink(beer) and we will be your mate forever. Kia Kaha, Huw 🌻
Are sweet peas nitrogen fixing like other legumes?
You’ve shared much great advice in this video! I’m at the point where you are having been a gardener for many years and finally focused much more on polyculture, experimenting, and the enjoyment of the garden and the ecosystem within the
garden. I recommend your videos all the time, because I love your approach. I also loved the back and forth with you and Sam about the microbes 😂
im ngl, i needed this video right now, thank you for your inspiration and wisdom Huw <3
My methodology is to wander around the garden, plant pot in hand, until I find a space to put it in.
That's it. It's worked for about 65 years.
Huw, you've inspired me to turn my rather boring studio patio raised bed border into a more of a polyculture…experiment! I added four 4' x 2' x 1' raised beds and have had so much fun just willy nilly putting plants in wherever they can fit, somewhat keeping in mind their growth habits and mature heights. Mixing and matching herbs, a few veggies, and flowers. It's early days, so I'm keen to see what kind of delightful artistic chaos I've got a month or two into summer. I really enjoy your videos and books!
This video represents the perfect marriage of Zen and Permaculture. Carry on my friend.
As a small person with a dodgy back, I use pots, bags, buckets and tubs for crops and some flowers. If I spot a gap in the border, I grab a bucket that is already planted up and just plonk it down to fill in and make use of the space. Best of both worlds of planned and unplanned. Good fun.
So true – focus on the things you can control; and work out how to cope with the things that are totally out of your control (like the weather).
Aren't sweet peas nitrogen fixers?
We had 5 months drought – and instead of being upset by it, I decided to let it teach me what to plant and where, and how to make my garden more drought resistant. And you know, it was actually great – i learned about different plants and sought them out and wow what a transformation. So i kinda embrace the challenges – they’re just opportunities.
Adaptation is key, making a peaceful and rewarding place. By accident some volunteer nasturtium grew among the winter squash and attracted so many bees, and eventually more winter squash 🎉
Growing food is creating. Its not just creating a beautiful space, its creating a space for life to exist. I love that and that's been the most joyful thing for me on my 3rd season of growing.
If you like sweet peas, that's the 9nly reason you need to grow them. 😊
I have taken that approach in my food forest. I have only a rough plan, and then I plant what strikes my fancy in the spaces in between. When something dies, I don't have to care because it means that I get to plant a new thing in that spot. I also plant too much of everything, and then losses don't matter so much.
IMO
Sustainable is a technique, not a product.
Permaculture is a science. No plant is a "permaculture plant"
Absolutely loved this video!
If you don’t like it, don’t grow it!😂😂😂
I'm always so distracted when music is put over the top of narratives….please don't spoil what Huw has to say with naff muzic
I love your way of thinking 🌱
It's called "benign neglect". Love all you share!
Don’t forget about the 6th reason! Sweet peas have their delightful sweet fragrance
Every spring, I have to fight, overwhelm from the size of my garden and the work that needs to be done. After a little self talk of one bite at a time, I get to work, and before I know it, the garden is ready. Things are growing, and the season is underway in spite of my overwhelm. Unless you’re fully depending on your garden for all your food, a relaxed approach is the best approach in my estimation.💚👏🏻👍🏻
Letting go is one of life's most important skills. After so many years of gardening, I have finally accepted the fact that sometimes it's best to rip out a failure and open a spot for a new success.
Hahaha but u know …
Not having a plan for means I suddenly have strawberries, garlic and onions everywhere and spend hors in wondering around and trying to find good companions for my young plants. So I partly grow kale beside the actual bed now 😂 cause it s the only suitable place for them and helps that the side of the frame doesn't t dry out too bad 😅
Thanks for the fun video 😁😁 I have only a small shade house to grow in (Monkey and hail protection) so I have to do a fair amount of planning to be able to maximise the space, but I'm trying to be spontaneous in where I put the filler flowers and aromatic herbs.
🐝Thanks for the great video🌻
It’s pronounced sal-see-fee. The roots are extremely tasty. It also attracts black fly like a magnet, which frees other crops of the ugly menace.
Oca is called yam in New Zealand because we don’t have any other yams! We just know Oca as yams, and sweet potatoes as Kūmara
Peas are nitrogen fixers?
I plant seeds in the spring, water if it’s dry, but basically just let the garden do it’s thing. Produces plenty of food all by itself.
The neighbor kid across the street from me started a garden this year. He’s out there every single day for hours at a time checking every little plant and doing God knows what else. He wears me out just watching him.
also sweet peas – for nitrogen fixing (legume) and attracting useful pollinators – that's 7 Huw
I got a diagnosis of prediabetes in Oct. This led to a revaluation about my diet and what I’d be planting in the garden. If I can’t eat it, no sense planting it..or so my reasoning went. This year, there are more flowers and plenty of joy in the garden. In fact, I find I’m thrilled that the violets are taking over and feeding the fritillaries. 🦋
Does Vietnamese coriander grow better in heat?
Beat plants always seem to be the’volunteers’. They never come up where/ when you want but if you nurture them, they are just the best!!!!!
Adore your videos Huw! Greetings from South Australia 🇦🇺 zone 5 Warm Temperate no rain to speak of here this year. Recommend some type of oya, deep watering and heavy mulch this growing season ☀️
This video has cut my garden anxiety more than any other video I've watched this year.
My seed starting space was unavailable for two months, and last week we just had our last rain until autumn. It's currently sunny and just a bit cool. I have been terrified that I had lost all the time I needed for planting, which is ridiculous, as we can grow into October with our insane heat and perpetual sun.
Now, I think I'm going to use the rototiller to loosen my over-compact cow pasture clay soil, top it with potting soil, and sow directly into that. Mulch heavily. I'll use cow ditch water to fill my IBC totes, and I'll use chlorine in those to avoid the E. coli that hit my husband. But first, I gotta cut back the meter-high grass 😂
So true.
My garden is a sandpit for adults. If I manage to grow something successfully it’s a win, if not, at least I had fun digging/watering
having lived in many locations and climates I am now in West Central Texas and boy is it a challenge. Extremes and flip flopping weather have me really taking time to figure out what works. We get 90 degree days in winter and the weather can drop or raise up to 50 degrees F in 24 hours. The wind the flooding rains and drought periods and I love it. Sad to say growing cooler season veggies is very difficult but I just chalk it up to a bigger compost pile or chicken food when things bolt. Working with nature is the best
I am having a very similar experience. Last year, I was unable to take good care of my garden due to my work being overwhelming. In the autumn, I said I was done gardening. This spring I changed my mind and decided to plant much less and do what I can as well as make use of the farmers market. I already feel much less stressed. Cheers and happy gardening 💚
"Sam is your guy, he's a Fun-gi" 🤣🤣🤣🤣 That made me laugh so hard 😆😆
Your approach is similar to my first true garden, which is this year.
Practically I studied all I could to get some better understanding, compost and topsoil.
Luckily the local mulching supplier had a high grade blend of both. 3 cubic yards later, delivered in February and put in the garden the following weeks, i’ve direct sown practically everything in there, and have harvested already some snap peas, and it’s getting bigger by the day. The only extra fertilizer I put in was for corn and tomatoes, but that’s it.
It hit me that I just kind of hope for the best and while I had a plan that I planned over winter, that all just kind of fell to the wayside as everything filled in.
It’s luscious and green and delightful, and when I get home from work, it’s a little escape to remind me the world isn’t all bad.
TL;DR
I don’t care what happens, but it all seems to be working out. And I’m alright with change.
🤣a fun-gi
Sweet peas (all flowers) are People Care, Huw ☺ I've challenged naysayers for years over flowers.. "Name one ecosystem other than Antarctica, (in its snow covered form) that doesn't include flowers" . I liked hearing Fun-gi's input in this one too (good points Sam) hope for your sake the new name doesn't stick 🙂 Relaxed is where the good stuff happens.