Thanksgiving reminds us of organic gardening importance

Americans will tomorrow (November 26th) celebrate Thanksgiving – a four-century-old feast that was first held in celebration of the pilgrims surviving a harsh winter.

The pilgrims sat down to give thanks with their Native American neighbours, who had a more than passing part to play in their survival.

The Indians had shared their knowledge of organic gardening and agriculture that had allowed them to survive for generations in a land that the pilgrims struggled to tame.

While the face of farming may have changed dramatically in the past 400 years, the same principals are used today for organic gardening, allowing garden and greenhouse enthusiasts to harvest food from the earth year after year.

A new book by Solutions from Science president Bill Heid documents the lessons that helped the pilgrims survive and shows how the Indians techniques are still sound today.

Squantos Secret Garden illustrates how the Native Americans managed to survive off the land without the use of modern chemical-based fertilisers and equipment.

Meanwhile, the Christian Science Monitor recently advised garden and greenhouse lovers to use pot feet on their containers to stop them from leaving stains on steps, decking and patios.