Why Gardening Should be Political

 

Has there ever been someone who offered you an idea that you instantly found deeply difficult, yet the opportunity it provided for introspection was immensely beneficial? I thought I would share one of these gardening-related moments using decorative garden screens. It would be interesting to know how you felt.

I was taking in one of my favorite conceptual gardens at the Hampton Court Flower Show around five years ago. One of the avant-garde horticulture exhibits was a design that drew inspiration from the problems that displaced peoples face globally. During the ten minutes I was there before being pulled away for work, I heard at least six guests criticize it because they believed it was crucial to “keep politics out of gardening,” not because of the planting, the hardscape design, the use of color, or the shape.

Whatever your political stance, would anybody have ever made a statement like that at an art gallery, was my first thought upon seeing it. after your exit from a movie theater or screening? Attending a musical performance? While I completely appreciate that, in a world where politics are becoming more and more polarized, gardening may seem like a necessary diversion, why is gardening not regarded as an art form that is both molded by and influences the political environment in which we live?

The only logical conclusion is that if you think gardening should be devoid of politics, then it’s not art on the same level as music, sculpture, or movies, but rather a kind of pointless hobby for decoration. This viewpoint, in my opinion, destroys your ability to appreciate and enjoy the work of horticulturists while also undervaluing their intent and talent.

All areas of horticulture are founded on political concepts. Political beliefs are the reason why British-style gardens have been copied all over the world, with green Surrey lawns being recreated in Arizona’s deserts or UK wildlife being introduced in far-flung locations like Australia to create an idealized “Beatrix Potter” garden. At flower exhibits, “tropical” gardens are recognized as a unique gardening style, typically accompanied with colonial maps and explorers’ pith hats, rather than just using plants from a particular temperate zone.

 

Fight insects and pests without using chemicals

Insect and pest control is the process of expelling, killing, or reducing the harm of insects and pests to agricultural crops, by introducing changes in how they reproduce, how they feed, or how they move. These changes depend on the type of insect and the amount of damage it has caused to agricultural crops, and these changes are In two ways. You may also read – How to exterminate pests in agriculture (كيفية إبادة الآفات في الزراعة), for more information on pest control in agriculture.

The first method is the natural method and this method has nothing to do with humans, as it depends on the changes occurring in the climate of the environment in which the insect is present. An example is the formation of frost or the occurrence of drought. The second method is the applied method, which is a set of steps created by man to eliminate pests and insects.

Environmentally friendly ways to combat insects

Preparing natural solutions to combat insects and pests Of the solutions used to combat insects and pests the following:

A solution of the same type of insects. This solution is prepared by squeezing a number of insects attacking the agricultural crop, then a liter of water is added to it, and the solution is left aside for two days before spraying the crops with it, as the smell of this solution attracts insects that feed on the insect attacking the crops and thus get rid of it or it repels insects from plants.

Tobacco solution. 40 grams of tobacco is soaked in a liter of water and left soaked for two days, then the tobacco is filtered from the water well, and then a liter of water is added to the soaked water, then the cultures are sprayed with the solution, and it is worth noting that this solution is effective in getting rid of the whitefly, thrips, and aphids.

Pepper solution. Chop 100 grams of pepper paper, then add 10 grams of shredded soap to the chopped paper, and soak the ingredients in a liter of water for 12 hours, and then add 5 liters of water to the soaked so as to dilute it, because the concentrated pepper solution can be attached Damage to crops.

Potato leaves solution. Soak 120 grams of potato leaves in a liter of hot water, leave the soaked aside for four hours, then filter the leaves well, and add to the soaked water 4 grams of crushed or liquid soap, and then spray the plants with the solution, and this process is repeated daily until you get rid of the insects completely.

Nettle solution. Soak 100 grams of fresh nettle leaves in a liter of water for 12 hours, then filter the soak, and spray the insect-infested plants with soaking water. This method is repeated daily until the final elimination of harmful insects.

Manufacture of insect traps

The trap can be prepared by coating a yellow plastic sheet with an adhesive substance, then attaching this plate to trees and between plantings, and it is worth noting that the yellow color brings sucking insects such as thrips and aphids, as well as bouncy insects.