A journey of a thousand miles

Sunday at Celebrate Newton, a local craft fair, several shoppers asked me why I use the phrase “sustainable-enough.” I found myself replying, “My idea is that you don’t have to go from conventional to perfect in one step.” Back when it came time to choose a title for my book, I was stumped. My editor, Lorraine Anderson, suggested The Sustainable-Enough Garden, and that was just right.

Sustainable-enough gift basket

    There’s a nod in the title to pediatrician and psychoanalyst D.W. Winnicott’s concept of the “good enough mother,” a mother who recognizes and meets her baby’s needs but sometimes fails at perfect attunement, allowing the growing child to experience some manageable frustration. Similarly, I aim to be a good enough environmentally conscious gardener: trying my best, developing new insights over time, but not perfect.

On the path to 100 percent sustainability, but not there yet

    I think every step we take toward making a sustainable garden is a plus. If you can’t do everything, so be it. Do what you can now and add more as you go along. It’s foolish to think we know everything about natural processes. We’re bound to learn more as time goes on, and we’ll adjust our approach accordingly. For example, we now know that nonnative flowering plants do have a role to play in insect-friendly gardens. 

Nonnative butterfly bush draws lots of native insects

Thanks to active research, we’re getting more information in this area every year. Meanwhile, we can hold off on tearing out our beloved peonies and hydrangeas!

    It’s easy to get impatient with incremental changes. Compare the approaches of two effective environmental organizations. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), known for fiery defense of natural areas under attack, has been in high gear during the Trump administration, filing and winning lawsuits to block environmental deregulation. Their strategy seems to be to shoot for the stars.

NRDC fights to preserve wilderness

    In contrast, back in the 1980s, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) chose a more gradual, collaborative approach, showing industries how they can save money (and generate good PR) by eliminating waste and conserving energy. The idea of working with McDonald’s and Walmart must have been hard to stomach at first, but the results are undeniable. Over a decade, McDonald’s eliminated 300 million pounds of packaging and reduced restaurant waste by 30 percent with EDF’s help.

EDF persuaded McDonald's to skip the polystyrene clamshell packaging

Walmart has cut their greenhouse gas emissions and leveraged their clout to create a market for sustainably produced food and other products. I don’t want to support either corporation with my dollars, but I have to admit they’re positioned to be influencers in combating climate change.

Solar panels at Walmart in Caguas, Puerto Rico

    Recently EDF is working with Corn Belt farmers to reduce fertilizer runoff into the Mississippi and the Gulf of Mexico. Using less fertilizer saves money for farmers, and it promotes healthy soil and clean water. A goal of the program is to shrink the dead zone caused by man-made chemicals in the Mississippi Delta to “a safe level.” Is that enough? Even if it’s not, it’s still worth taking steps now, until we can do better in the future.