As we celebrate Earth Day, it seemed like a good moment to reflect on the Tao of native plants in the garden. Taoism focuses on living in harmony with theTao, or “the way” - the natural, ineffable force behind all life. Taoism’s core principles emphasize effortless action/non-striving (wu wei), balance (yin and yang), and simplicity, following nature’s flow.
The gardening journey that led me to switch to native plants in The Quane Garden was one very much based on gardening outside of the Tao. I was working against nature and doing lots of strivingtrying to get plants that weren’t adapted to our soil and climate to grow here - pumping water, fertilizer and amendments into the soil, using chemicals to fight pests and diseases and trying to maintain complex schedules for applying treatments and maintaining that out-of-balance system. I was trying to force things that weren't meant to be, and my garden showed it in stress, disease and plant failure.
I was recently reminded of the Tao of the native garden. Working with installers for a homeowner in a beautiful new California natives/food forest garden on Liberty Hill, I gave a quick tutorial on installing native plants: Dig a square hole about twice as wide and slightly deeper than the container; gently remove the plant from its container being sure to not disturb the roots; place it in the hole and backfill with the original soil; gently water in. The End. No soil amendments, no fussy fertilizing schedules, no complex irrigation timings. Effortless non-striving. This is the way.
Gardening with native plants is the ultimate expression of Taoist principles. Becoming aligned with the natural rhythms of our California Mediterranean climate, reading the ebbs and flows of sunlight and moisture through your garden throughout the year, and becoming besties with the stunningly fascinating flora that have spent millennia gently, effortlessly adapting to this region is truly connecting with The Way. Your garden and your own mental health will thank you for it.
Whether your garden is a celebrated public stairway on Telegraph Hill, a sloping lot in the Excelsior, or a cluster of mix-and-match pots on a Dolores Street fire escape, practicing a little Taoism in your garden may just plant seeds of effortless action, balance and simplicity in other unexpected areas of your life. And maybe that’s yet another way we continue to heal ourselves and our planet on this Earth Day.
As always, happy growing,
Steve
