Had I known that Deep-rooted wisdom focussed on ornamental gardens and landscaping, I wouldn’t have picked it up—and that would have been my loss. This beautiful book is rich in valuable lessons for all growers—from prairie farmers to market gardeners to landscapers. Admittedly, it would be more useful for me if the focus was food farming and the writer wasn’t a Southern gardener (I don’t have a wealth of live bamboo to cut for poles), but nonetheless I loved the book.
Augustus Jenkins Farmer (Jenks) is a storyteller, gardener, scrounger and self-described “pot stirrer.” In the book, he honours his mentors and shares their stories and lessons. He learned from many elders, including his grandparents who “gardened like farmers” and “used their make-do.”
With a creative and frugal mindset, Jenks describes how to improve the soil, make bokashi compost, control pests, manage water carefully, save seeds and reclaim old tools—all practices that work in the market garden.
Jenks explains soil biology in a way that is both accurate and lyrical. For example, “Think of a plant’s roots like your arms when you’re trying to reach a jar on the top shelf of the pantry that is just out of reach….If you could somehow magically extend your arm even just an inch, you’d have it. Well, for your plant roots, that magic extension is often a fungus.” He describes mycorrhizal fungi as “living pick-up grippers for nutrients.”
Jenks prefers making and salvaging materials rather than buying them. This applies to organic matter and tools. “Wood chips, bags of raked leaves, cardboard boxes… these are all great sources of carbon, and we are constantly throwing them away. We are wasting the basis of great topsoil.”
The author is equally bothered by the waste of water. He believes that learning effective watering skills, such as drip irrigation, is critical for the health of plants and essential for global water conservation.
I particularly liked the chapter on tools—how to buy, make, salvage and restore tools. When buying tools, look for mild, forged steel with handles made of dense wood. The grain should be dense—more like a baseball bat than a broom handle.
Buddhist philosophy permeates the book along with stories of long-time gardeners. It’s the sort of gardening book that can be read cover to cover like a great novel, while also a source of useful advice.
- Janet Wallace