Milk vs. Dark Chocolate
Milk vs. Dark Chocolate
Tips on watering.
Written By: Zane Long
Our plants need certain things. They need nutrients and sunlight, shade and water. Like all art forms we practice and strive to attain some sort of consistency in our field or hobbies. And it will be in those times of consistency that we hit a bump—propelling us to that creative instinct that we then bring to life, or paper, or canvas… It is that spontaneity that teaches us that no matter how we do things once, there is always a different approach in how we attain our goals. I often tell my volunteers and students one thing about gardening, patience. Like watering--how much to water, when to water. I say to them, “See the dirt? It looks like dark chocolate, when the dirt looks like milk chocolate then you water!”
The trick to watering is defiantly an art. I have read plenty of books, spoken with many people; and through trial and error still find my-self, each season, watering a slightly different way. I water some plants more than I did last season and show less pampered care to others. And so I watch myself work in the garden and objectively think about how I did “the same thing” last year as I am doing now. I find that often my gardening techniques are slightly different and in time we learn to critique our art form.
Myself and a few volunteers were in the project garden one afternoon, talking about how we were going to set-up a watering system and how much to water. During my explanation I randomly said “When the soil looks like milk chocolate you need to water.” Later in the evening I was thinking about the day and realized that often times the most effective teaching tools are the simplest. In breaking things down we able then to free up the creative side of our expression and focus that energy in a positive direction.
My biggest tip to watering and to gardening in general is patience. Nature has provided us with such an efficient and glorious system, that we only need to sit back and bask in it. No one can tell another how much to water because it is most variable. I just think that milk and dark chocolate was easy enough to relate to. And when you find yourself frustrated, no matter where, not matter what you may be doing, take a moment to just stop and think of the three Re’s—Recoup, Re-think, Redo.
Comments