In Japanese culture, there’s a fascinating philosophical perspective called wabi-sabi. One of its principles is the acceptance of the inherent beauty of impermanence and imperfection. You might have seen a broken bowl mended with a striking strip of gold illustrating the concept, but nature and gardens are arguably the best examples of wabi-sabi.

How do you control impermanence and imperfection in a garden or in the wild? For some, acceptance comes easy. They work patiently and strategically side-by-side with nature, rather than battle against it. They build up their garden soil and follow organic practices to create a lush garden of disease-resistant plants that may not be perfect, but are perfect enough.

They’ve learned to accept some leaf litter, bark and fallen twigs if it means a habitat for insects, and to accept some blemishes if it means avoiding chemical products to keep the land and ecosystem vibrant and people, pets and wildlife safe. For others, though, reaching for chemical control products is their only go-to option. Jay Feldman wants them to reconsider.

He’s the executive director of Beyond Pesticides, the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that bridges the interests of consumers, farmers, gardeners, park managers, scientists and policy makers in order to end petrochemical pesticides and fertilizers, and adopt organic practices.

Its website, beyondpesticides.org , offers a resource-rich platform of tools, how-to videos, action items and databases to help pr.