By Janet Sellers
Every year on April 22, Earth Day reminds us of our responsibility to care for the planet. First observed on April 22, 1970, it was proposed as a way to have an educational day devoted to protecting our Earth. An estimated 20 million participated in rallies, teach-ins, and demonstrations across the country.
The event was instrumental in gaining support for environmental legislation in the 1970s, including the Clean Air Act (1970) and the Endangered Species Act (1973) and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in response to the growing concerns over pollution and the welfare of the environment. We can do our part with our landscaping and home gardens.
No deer landscaping
Marigolds are a go-to flower that comes in sizes from 6 inches to a couple of feet high and deters bugs, rabbits, and even deer. Surprisingly easy to grow and acknowledged deer-deterrent plants include chives, lemon balm, parsley, thyme, dill, sage, mint, yarrow, allium, garlic, echinacea, chamomile, and more. And these easy plants are herbs we can use for meals or just for tea.
Black Forest Mulch program
We tried out the multi-size mulch from the Black Forest Slash and Mulch Program this past year. It will be available again in May and it’s free. We were amazed at its performance. We had a new garden bed with plenty of seeds planted and, as an experiment, we let Mother Nature do all the work for watering and weed control, etc.
Without any additional watering or work, just the mulch, that flower garden flourished. (I had to water some newly planted flowering bushes late in the season; we’ll see if they come up this year.) The seeds and all of the plants in the garden bed with the mulch thrived all summer without touching it. We planted seeds in June but August was when they decided to show up and flower. This year I’m planting seeds in April and May under the mulch, because seeds will use their own intelligence for growing. Indoor seedlings can be started in April, but we have to wait until the end of May to put them out safely, unless we have protection like cloches or cold frames.
Due to our late snows and cold temperatures, most plants are not particularly interested in doing much until they can rely on warmth, water, and of course good, garden-prepared soil. Earth Day is a perfect time to start a new garden project, volunteer at a local green space, or simply appreciate the beauty of nature. The Tri-Lakes Cares (TLC) food garden needs volunteers to help plant, care, and harvest vegetables this year. Contact me or TLC at tri-lakescares.org to learn more.
Janet Sellers is an avid “lazy” gardener, letting Mother Nature lead the way for permaculture gardening. Contact her at JanetSellers@ocn.me.
Other Gardening articles
- High Altitude Nature and Gardens – Rooting out crime: How our community’s flowers protect more than just plants (2/4/2026)
- High Altitude Nature and Gardens – Mini outdoor greenhouses, cinnamon to protect soil and seedlings (12/31/2025)
- High Altitude Nature and Gardens – Festive stuff: winter beauty outdoors, indoors, and holiday acorn bread (12/4/2025)
- High Altitude Nature and Gardens – November tips, paper-bagging geraniums, compost poles (10/30/2025)
- High Altitude Nature and Gardens – Cornmeal in the garden; sweet potato leaf greens (10/1/2025)
- High Altitude Nature and Gardens (HANG) – Fall and the forest: creating soil beds and a blue spruce kitchen treat (9/3/2025)
- High Altitude Nature and Gardens – Wild Horse Fire Brigade: successful fire mitigation since the beginning of…plants (7/31/2025)
- High Altitude Nature and Gardening (HANG) – Gardening with nature’s beautiful bouncers (7/3/2025)
- High Altitude Nature and Gardening (HANG) – Enjoying nature in summer, high altitude landscaping, and weed control (6/7/2025)
- High Altitude Nature and Gardening (HANG) – May: new trees from tree branches, plant partners, bee kind (5/3/2025)