Let year I began growing my own vegetables and everyone told me you need to get slug and snail killer and repellent or they will eat everything! But I knew differently, there was no need for such a heavy handed approach.
When we were initially prepping the garden ready to the grow the vegetables my garden was a haven for slugs and snails, to my friends disgust and she said “get rid of them or I am not helping you”Collect them in a bucket and pour salt over them a neighbour helpfully called over the wall, that’ll kill em” A tad harsh I thought and totally unnecessary and also is this not a metaphor or reflection of how we treat most problems or things we don’t like in life…Kill it, destroy it, get rid of it!
So I showed my friend a “miracle” I told her its ok they will be gone tomorrow, she looked at me with that yeah ok crazy lady look.
I sat in my garden and spoke with the snails and the slugs, just as I do with the spiders in my house before cleaning. I told them of my plans for the garden, I told them I would leave them food at the end of the garden, I told them I appreciated and respected them…..However I also told that this work needed to be done and despite being careful I could not take responsibility for their wellbeing once work began!
That night we went to bed with a carpet of snails and slugs in the garden, the following morning they were all on the walls and by that lunchtime they were gone.
I grew amazing vegetables that year with not a single pesticide or even natural slug and snail deterrent, I didn’t have to do anything else, we had an agreement.
Everything we do can be sorted by taking a moment, sitting down and finding the middle way, something fair and beneficial for all. We don’t need to walk over others, destroy them or disregard them. Nor should we be at the mercy of their wellbeing, we don’t need to sacrifice ourselves or our wellbeing.
We are not more important or more worthy than any other being or thing.
Communication love and respect are key!
Everything in life is a collaboration
What we see happening on the global stage is a reflection of our own lives. Until we stop going nuclear in our own lives, until we respect every living creature, until we are prepared to work with rather than against other beings, nothing will change on the global stage.
We bomb each other, we use nerve gas and chemical agents, we destroy countries all in the name of national safety …how this any different to what we do with our gardens?
It’s time to “be the change you wish to see in the world” – Mahatma Gandhi
Have a fabulous day and enjoy this wonderful world of creatures great and small.
M xx
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