Why Biogardener?

Why do I call myself "biogardener" and why do I talk about environmental gardening rather than organic gardening? Let me explain it to you as a birthday present to myself.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Tomorrow is my birthday. Yes, I am still celebrating birthdays, and I always will. Birthdays are very special. I know everyone's birthday and I make sure that everyone remembers mine.

After writing here at Suite101 since May 1998, a birthday is as good a time as any to explain my cyber-ID to my readers. Many of you have asked me why I call myself "biogardener." Well, today you are going to find out.

From School to the Internet

After a motor vehicle accident in 1983, I had to give up my life's calling, teaching. After five years I found a capable chiropractor who took care of the constant intense pain, and I felt ready to go back into the school environment. So for several years, I took one high school course at a time, including three years of graphic arts and woodworking, all courses which were not available during my school days. If they had been available, I would not have taken them anyway, because I was busy preparing for university.

The name "biogardener" grew out of one of our graphic arts assignments where I had to invent a business and promote it through advertising. I imagined using my 20 acres of farmland as a base for my business and called it "BioGardener." This company invited health-conscious city people to garden on an assigned plot of my 20 acres under the condition that they use only environmentally friendly methods and that they bring all their organic wastes to compost at the site.

If we ever move out to the country, I may still be able to realize this dream of cooperative gardening.

At the same time, I ventured onto the Internet, and "biogardener" became my forum alias, first at CompuServe, then at the GardenWeb, and eventually here at Suite101. The name can now be found in all search engines, and so far no one has tried to steal it, because all the search links refer to my writing.

In my native Germany, natural gardening methods are called "biologisch." I therefore invented the word "biogardener" by combining the German word "biologisch" with the English word "gardener." The name is easily understood by speakers of many languages who have no idea what the term "organic gardening" stands for.

Why Environmental Gardening?

The copyright of the article Why Biogardener? in Natural Health is owned by Traute Klein, biogardener. Permission to republish Why Biogardener? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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