(c) 1987 By Kathryn D. TerrellThe following article appeared in two publications in 1987. The advice is still practical, though I've learned a few other methods to accomplish some of the same goals since then.
When I first began gardening at my new home in California, the problems seemed almost too overwhelming to attempt solving by myself: poor, sandy soil, with hardpan in some places; a limited water supply; too much shade from large, sprawling trees, roots that crowded out the vegetables and stole nutrients and moisture from the soil; and gophers by the dozens tunneling under our lot and the fields nearby.
But I don't give up easily, especially when it comes to providing a nutritious, inexpensive source of poison-free produce for my family. And because I knew I'd be living here for a long time, I was determined to overcome the less-than-ideal conditions, tackling the problems one by one if necessary.
The trees were my first concern, as I knew my garden wouldn't get very far without adequate sunlight. Could we cut them down? "No," said my husband. He was right -- we need the shade in the hot southern California climate. But I trimmed them so sunlight would reach more of the yard. The first small battle was won.
Solving the gopher problem posed a greater challenge. For every one we trapped, two took its place. Poisoning, drowning and other aggressive methods didn't appeal to me. My next idea was to use chicken wire fastened together with old pieces of baling wire to form underground barriers around my garden beds. This technique worked after a fashion, but I didn't enjoy breaking my back to dig grave-sized holes for the "cages." I needed a better plan.
After some experimenting, I decided to build boxes. As it turned out, that single solution solved all my problems! Plants that like shade can be arranged in boxes under the trees, those in boxes with wooden bottoms are not robbed of nutrients by tree roots; there's no foot traffic to compact the loamy soil; water is conserved since it's limited to planted areas; and -- best of all -- gophers can't get into the containers. Gardening in boxes has other benefits too. The wooden frames make ideal supports for trellises and wire tomato cages. Since watering, fertilizing and weeding are confined to a small area, I can spend more time enjoying my garden and less time maintaining it. And I like the flexibility of boxes. I can create innovative garden designs, then alter them as the garden evolves.
I'm an amateur woodworker with a limited knowledge of carpentry skills, so my boxes had to be easy to build. Other criteria were that they be sturdy and inexpensive.
My first step was to check lumber prices at a local home center. I discovered that the cheaper grades (with knotholes, splits and minor imperfections) of six or eight-foot studs (what I call two by four lumber) could be purchased for as little as 50 cents each during a sale. to make the box six feet long, two feet wide and one foot deep, I used six eight-foot studs (or eight six-footers); an eight-foot one-by-two board; and some 4d and 16d nails. You may also want to buy paint or stain for the boxes when you buy your lumber. I painted mine with redwood stain. The total to build each box came to about $15. I figure the boxes will last me at least five years.
To build your boxes, first find a large, flat surface on which to arrange your work comfortably. Saw your boards so that you have six six-foot boards and six two-foot lengths. (If you're working with eight-foot studs, saw two feet of the end of six boards; if your studs are six-footers, saw two of them into two-foot lengths.
Next, lay three six-foot studs side by side, with the four inch sides down. Saw the one-by two strip into six 10-inch lengths. space three of these across your long studs, one at the center and one several inches away from each end. Nail these strips to the studs with 4d nails.
Nail the remaining six-foot studs and 10-inch strips together in the same manner. Now you must have the two long sides of your box. Set these sides upright and parallel, about two feet apart, with the nailed-on strips on the outside.
Tap two 16d nails in place about 1/4 inch from each end of all the two foot boards. Place three of the two-footers within an arm's reach of one end of the box. Then straddle one long side of the box to hold it upright while you nail the short boards onto the end of the box, one above another. Now your box has three solid sides. Nail the remaining two-foot boards in place to form the fourth side.
If you have gopher problems, you may want to cover the bottom of the box with chicken wire, or you could add a plywood bottom and drill drainage holes in the lower boards.
A box this size is heavy, so you'll need at least one other person to help you move it to the garden. If you plan to move it to differrent areas or try various landscaping effects, you might want to build smaller boxes or use one-inch-thick lumber.
After building my two-by six-foot boxes, I decided to vary my design to acommodate different sizes of plants. I bought six-foot lengths of one-by-three redwood fencing and several sheets of plywood and built a number of smaller boxes. They varied from one to three feet in diameter and depth. Some were square, others rectangular. Most had plywood bottoms and holes drilled in the lower sides for drainage, but in some cases I used chicken wire. These smaller boxes call for 3d or 4d nails. The technique for building is about the same as for the larger boxes.
The two-by six-foot box can be placed as is on the ground, or you can dig a trench or hole a few inches deep and place your box in it. I set the smaller boxes with wooden bottoms on top of the ground; boxes with chicken-wire bottoms or no bottoms at all are partially sunk in the soil.
Boxes simplified my gardening: I can nail a wooden trellis or fence to one or make a frame and cover it with plastic, shade cloth, nylon netting or even a blanket to protect plants from bugs, animals or frost. Plastic or metal piping, which I use to support row covers, is easily pressed into the soil inside a box or fastened to the outside with holders. The sunken boxes are especially handy for wrapping wire cages around to hold tomato plants, since the wooden frame helps anchor the cages.
Arrange the boxes to suit your fancy, taking advantage of areas where sunlight lasts at least six hours a day. Place the boxes parallel, with a pathway between, or design a circular or square garden. Vary the sizes and shapes of the boxes to achieve the effect you're after.
What can you plant in your boxes? Just about anything. I transplanted a small fig tree from a two-gallon pot into a three-foot-square box and filled it with homemade compost and sandy soil. In just a few months, the tree grew three times its original size. Flowers, bushes, vegetables, and dwarf fruit and nut trees are all good candidates for a boxed garden ####
Christians are thankful for their gardens. Food comes from gardens, and we appreciate the flowers, trees, and other plants the Creator provided for us in His great wisdom. The Lord chose to give to mankind plants for a multitude of purposes: to save lives, to build homes, and to provide bodily nutrients. The actual list of plant uses is almost endless.
Plants are valuable, we don't doubt it. But God gave us plants and gardens for another reason. He intended for us to receive spiritual lessons--to acquaint us with His character, and to help us understand His purpose for our lives.
Christ's parables often illustrate through gardening practices and plants. For example, we read of the sowing of the seed, the barren fig tree, the lily of the valley, the growth of grain, the vine, and the bearing of sour grapes. What beautiful truths we find in these illustrations! Though Bible parables are invaluable to searchers of truth, since most Christians have studied these, we'd like to add more to the list instead of going over the same stories again.
Any good teacher knows the value of pictures in educating the mind. And writers constantly use anecdotes, examples, and graphic illustrations to put their points across.
Today's gardening practices are not exactly new. Many have been around for centuries, and some since the beginning of the world. The spiritual lessons are many and any one off us could add to what we will attempt to cover now.
Mulching and CompostingSome people seem to think mulching and composting are the same. There is a difference. When you mulch a garden you blanket it between plants and in paths with any kind of material you choose. This could be compost, hay, leaves, or plastic, paper, old rugs. The purpose is to keep the ground a few degrees cooler or warmer (depending on the season), retain moisture in the soil, and keep weeds under control.
Compost provides nutriments and humus for the soil and plants. Organic mulch will slowly break down and provide these factors too. The contents of the mulch or compost determine whether your plants receive a balanced and continual diet of everything they need for good growth.
Mulch provides a valuable covering. Thus, we need a covering of Christ's righteousness, and when we have it, the Holy Spirit works continually to give us the water of life and the proper spiritual elements as we require them. Take that covering away and we will dry up, just as the ground often does without mulch. Not only that, weeds can choke out the good plants, steal away their food and water supply, shade them from needed sun, and sometimes even poison them.
A pile of actively working organic matter is compost in-the-making. Such a pile is hot to the touch in the center. Soil micro-organisms are busy converting it to compost and humus. Air needs to be circulated throughout the pile by means of tossing and turning, through the use of pipes or dividers or a barrel-type tumbler. For fast results the pile must receive enough water and aeration, plus a fairly correct ratio between carbon and high nitrogen materials.
Teamwork and balance are characteristics we need to develop. And a compost heap is representative of this. Compost is valuable only as it has the proper materials for promoting growth and fruitage in plants. When we place chemical fertilizers into the soil we could possibly do damage. Too much of one nutriment can cause a plant to bear leaves and little or no fruit, or vice-versa. What's good for one may not be the best for the other. Some fertilizers may burn plant roots and chemicals may kill valuable soil organisms. One fine thing about well-made compost: it's a balancer. It helps provide a proper PH (not too acid or alkaline) for plants and has a good ratio of NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium).
How are compost and the Bible alike? If we study the Scriptures with prayer and humility, we will gain everything we need for growing more like Jesus. The bible provides the truth we need, and the Holy Spirit (like water) gives us understanding and the power to use it properly. Just as the organic materials submit to the micro-organisms and allow them to make the change needed, thus we submit ourselves to God as we study His word, so that He can change us and make us of use in ministering to others.
From another point of view, the organisms unknowingly do what they need to do. We end up with rich, dark material to mix with the soil and feed the plants. Have you ever seen the dark humus under the leaves in a forest or walked on peat moss? If we do all that God commands in His word, we may not be aware of accomplishing much. But teamwork will be apparent, as the Holy Spirit works with each one of us to accomplish the work of God on this earth. One single Christian will be nothing in His own eyes (as are the tiny organisms in the compost heap and soil), but it's the teamwork under the direction of the Spirit that counts.
Water and AirWe could liken the Holy Spirit to both water and air. Plants need a constant supply and so do we. Water carries nutriments to the plants through soil full of spaces or tunnels. Complicated processes activate the soil every moment, and life and death constantly go on. Giving and taking is a law of nature ever in motion. Minerals are carried to root systems, and rotting matter releases plant food.
Also the Holy Spirit is busy in our lives. When we are cooperative and cultivate our heart's soil, we allow God's grace and power to permeate through us. When we trust in Him to guide our lives, and depend on Him only, we allow the moisture of God's Spirit to do its work within us.
Many are the lessons to be found in garden practices. Daily, we need the spiritual food he supplies for us, just as we need the produce of the garden for our physical food. May God bless us as we look for ways to grow more like our Saviour.####
