Alive and Well Organic Gardening

Here, in the Pacific Northwest, it is easy for weeds and invasive species to take over a garden. Often when we are called to a new site, we are faced with an overgrown jungle where the weeds have engulfed the entire garden. We manually remove these plant pests or use other pesticide-free solutions. Once we have exposed the real ‘bones’ or structure of the garden, we identify problem areas and develop a plan to transform the garden. Some of the steps that Alive and Well Organic Gardening takes to renovate a garden are listed below.

• Remove invasive and weed species.
• Remove plants that are no longer salvageable or pose a hazard.
• Inspect for pest and disease problems and use least toxic Integrated Pest Management techniques.
• Transplant specimens to improve health, allow to grow to natural mature size, to look better, etc.
• Start a pruning program to bring back a more natural form to trees and shrubs that have suffered from bad pruning.
• Prune to promote health.
• Identify nutrient deficiencies and correct them with natural organic fertilizers.
• Start building the soil and protecting it with mulch.
• Add new plant material to the garden to compliment the existing bones.
• Incorporate paths, containers, arbors, etc to facilitate better use and enjoyment of the space.