FYRE Gardens will rely on a hybrid system using aspects of regenerative agriculture and other sustainable gardening techniques as well as some limited commercial, non-organic supplementation. This will involve limited tilling, water-use, fertilizer, and pesticide application on the land. We will employ various strategies based on feasibility, available resources and supports, and what the landowner feels is best for their property.
Regenerative Agriculture
Regenerative agriculture is counter-cultural to the current systems of land degradation, water degradation, and resource over-extraction, and in support of sustainable and ecologically-minded practices. Regenerative agriculture acknowledges and values the interconnectedness of Earth’s systems, focusing on all aspects of an ecosystem. We consider the plants, insects, and soil together as well as social and economic systems when making choices. For example, the techniques here can help regenerate economic and social systems as well as ecological ones.
The sources used are linked here, click to learn more:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s44264-025-00097-7
https://regenerativeagriculturefoundation.org/what-is-regenerative-agriculture/
The sources used are linked here, click to learn more:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s44264-025-00097-7
https://regenerativeagriculturefoundation.org/what-is-regenerative-agriculture/
Limited Tilling
Limited tilling of the soil is desirable in gardening because it reduces risk of soil erosion. This technique also allows for vegetation debris to remain on the top of the soil for water retention, protecting delicate seedlings, and feeds the garden via compost as it decomposes. No-till practices also help with carbon sequestration, which draws carbon out of the atmosphere and into the soil! And most importantly - it doesn't disturb all those amazing micro-organisms in the soil which are the key to healthy plants.
The sources used are linked here, click to learn more: https://www.britannica.com/technology/sustainable-agriculture
The sources used are linked here, click to learn more: https://www.britannica.com/technology/sustainable-agriculture
Limited Fertilizers and Pesticides
Lady Flower Gardens acknowledges that certain pesticides are very helpful, especially in large wholesale agricultural operations. And LFG has also used chemical pesticides in the past. But any garden chemical can end up in unintended places without careful and limited application. Whenever possible, we have favoured mechanical pest and weed control at LFG. For example, hand picking Colorado potato beetles off of the the tomatoes and planting the tomatoes far away from the potatoes, raking the onion seedlings to disturb root maggots and covering crucifers with netting to protect them from the cabbage moth. We also do lots and lots and lots of weeding with hoes instead of using herbicides.
Excessive use of synthetic fertilizer can run off fields to contaminate water sources, as well, around 2% of greenhouse gas emissions globally come from the manufacturing of and use of fertilizers. Lady Flower Gardens uses a limited amount of chemical fertilizer to establish seedlings when they are first planted and LFG also uses it in the greenhouse, but we relied heavily on cover crops and compost for the rest of the season's fertility. Our donated compost is not certified organic however it is an incredible amendment to our soil and it is created from the organic matter from Morinville's green bins which are diverted from their land fill.
Front yard gardens are an ideal size for these types of mechanical control measures, instead of chemicals, because of their manageable size and convenience. Plus, the more people who grow vegetables in their yards, the less we have to rely on big commercial operations. This may sound naive, but please keep in mind that during WWII there were 20 million victory gardens in the US which produced up to 40% of the vegetables during the war years. And many of our grandparents and great grandparents grew home gardens which were an important part of their food security.
The sources used are linked here, click to learn more: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004896972400247X
https://climate.mit.edu/explainers/fertilizer-and-climate-change
https://www.britannica.com/technology/sustainable-agriculture
Excessive use of synthetic fertilizer can run off fields to contaminate water sources, as well, around 2% of greenhouse gas emissions globally come from the manufacturing of and use of fertilizers. Lady Flower Gardens uses a limited amount of chemical fertilizer to establish seedlings when they are first planted and LFG also uses it in the greenhouse, but we relied heavily on cover crops and compost for the rest of the season's fertility. Our donated compost is not certified organic however it is an incredible amendment to our soil and it is created from the organic matter from Morinville's green bins which are diverted from their land fill.
Front yard gardens are an ideal size for these types of mechanical control measures, instead of chemicals, because of their manageable size and convenience. Plus, the more people who grow vegetables in their yards, the less we have to rely on big commercial operations. This may sound naive, but please keep in mind that during WWII there were 20 million victory gardens in the US which produced up to 40% of the vegetables during the war years. And many of our grandparents and great grandparents grew home gardens which were an important part of their food security.
The sources used are linked here, click to learn more: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004896972400247X
https://climate.mit.edu/explainers/fertilizer-and-climate-change
https://www.britannica.com/technology/sustainable-agriculture
Sharing Information
For 15 years Lady Flower Gardens has relied on Doug Visser, a retired market gardener. He generously shared his labour, his land, his equipment, his expertise and his good will. We are now weening ourselves off of tractors, irrigation pipes and pumps and golf carts as we transition to small gardens in aggregate with large numbers of people. It's going to be a big learning curve as we rebuild in this new direction but one of the most important things we need to do is develop systems of communication with all our new FYRE gardeners. We need to share information about new sustainable gardening techniques. We need to continually evolve and learn from each other.
Over the winter we will be developing our youtube channel, facebook page and instagram as well as host regular zoom meetings with paid guest speakers who can help us all learn how to continue to care for the land and each other.
Over the winter we will be developing our youtube channel, facebook page and instagram as well as host regular zoom meetings with paid guest speakers who can help us all learn how to continue to care for the land and each other.