Nate Smelle began growing his own food in 2006 when he moved to L’Amable, Ontario. After nine years of gardening, he made a discovery when biting into a piece of fruit from his garden. He had tasted a freshness that he had not been used to in previous years. Smelle read Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by William McDonough who, within his book, encourages fellow architects, designers and creators to start building and creating things as if we planned to stay. The design principle of sharing a space to accommodate for other species, creates a more eco-effective manner which respects the intrinsic value of all living creations.
Inspired by these ideals, Smelle enhanced his garden design by simply leaving more host plants like milkweed in his garden. By doing this, he encouraged butterflies and bees to spend more time in this space pollinating. This made all the difference for not only Smelle who had gained a greater respect for the soil and local biodiversity, but all of the living things that benefited from the garden.
Nate Smelle’s full story can be found on bancroftthisweek.com.
