It seems so long ago that I was an apprentice gardener in London, England during the early 1960s. I often think back to those days and compare them to the present day. I think about the amount of time and sweat that gardening tasks used to take, but the level of simplicity was far greater then.
For instance, flower bed preparation was almost a ritual. Each flower bed had its own individual preparation. Flower beds that were to be planted with dahlias had horse manure dug into the bed. Most other flower beds had leaf mold dug into the soil, the amount depending on the makeup of the soil. The use of inorganic fertilizers was making inroads, but the choice was still favoring organics. Fertilizers today are mostly inorganic and come in a multitude of formulas. Most have micro-nutrients in their formulation, they are available in time release formulations, and there is a fertilizer for almost any variety of plant.
The simplicity has been removed - is that a good thing? I am not sure, but my garage houses over a dozen fertilizers.
And then there’s pesticides. Pesticides have always been controversial. Through legislation they are regulated today, and that is a good thing. I shudder when I think back to those early days, applying pesticides with no protective clothing or respirators. I remember applying DDT (what’s that?) with an applicator that had a small round tank and a hand pump that resembled a bicycle pump. I am amazed that I am walking and breathing still.
So, on the whole is it better now... or then?
Like all stages of change and progress, it’s a mixed bag.
I like to think that the practice of hand digging with the addition of leaf mold is sound horticultural practice that has stood the test of time. The plants have the benefit of added oxygen to the soil. The addition of organic matter aids in the replenishment of microorganisms essential to a plant’s well being. Is it extra work? You bet. The use of rototillers speeds up the task but they can only dig so deep, so eventually a hard pan develops and plants’ roots have difficulty penetrating this layer.
Inorganic fertilizers have shown to be responsible for algal buildup in lakes and streams - a result of runoff. Pesticides are somewhat controlled and are under scrutiny from the E.P.A., but unfortunately, research is not carried out long enough to safely come to the conclusion that a pesticide is safe, so the jury is still out on that one.
One thing is for sure, gardening was cheaper back in the 60s, but it wasn’t as accessible - it was harder work and took more time. From my own point of view, I enjoy the benefits of modern scientific technology but I miss the simplicity of yesteryear.
I don’t miss handling manure, though.
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