A quick update on the garden and the whole no dig things!
It was all very hard work at the beginning digging up all those shrubs and weeds but it is looking good now. And is all reasonably simple to look after, especially if I knew what where the first vestiges of veggie plants and what are those hard ass weeds that will just keep on coming. I am now very good at identifying ground elder and withe-wind, both of which have to go. They are the hardened weeds. And the faithful old bramble that I have been battling with these past 3 years, as well as some Japanese maple that no matter how many times it is cut down sends up suckers to keep the whole processes going.
But we have lots of lettuce, so many in fact that for some the joy of salad with every meal is wearing a bit thin. And there has been red currants that have never really seen the light of day yielding plenty, though as yet I am not sure what to do with them!! There isn't enough to make jam but too many to not do something with. And we've had a nice crop of strawberries, though really only enough to pick and eat. But maybe if we didn't eat them as we picked them we'd have lots! And there are broccoli and courgettes and many other exciting things fruiting along the way.
But knowing that in the beginning I was comparing this whole no-dig gardening to our spiritual lives I do like to ask God what He has to say on it all.
First I notice that to keep it easy I do a little weeding in the morning when I am sorting out the chickens and rabbit, usually in my dressing gown as I'm a morning person and Ian a night owl. In totally animals and weeding takes about 20 mins. But that made me see that this is how I need to be with my inner life with God, checking on it when I get up, pulling out the bad stuff that has grown up over night and getting ready for whatever the day has to throw at me. In fact I have been making sure I get in an hour of Bible reading, journaling and praying most mornings before doing the animals and garden and I have been amazed at the difference that does make to just how I am looking at many things.
Then I notice when I go out later in the day to just check on things that often a few other of the hardened weeds have crept up and need pulling out or they will start to get big in the sunshine. Now this is where with me I am not so good, I do not often take stock of what is going on in my heart during the day and pull things out. These are the things that I can ignore and let grow, and often they are the hardened weeds of attitude, of those niggles with family and friends that always seem to occur. This one I need to let the gardener in a bit more often to deal with my hardened weeds.
Then at the end of the day I have a final check on eggs and then water things, especially any new plants I have put in. And again there are some of those hardened weeds that have some how reappeared. I am learning at night that before I sleep, as my head is on the pillow, I need to just go through with God where I've screwed up, where I've let in those weeds, and also to make sure we water what needs to be grown in my life.
Today Ian noticed that some withe-wind had grown up with the runner beans. It had managed to disguise itself and had grown to the height of the beans and was all twisted round them. It took ages for him to unwind them and not harm the runner beans. But again this makes me see how easy some of the strongholds in my heart can hide and look like something good and grow up together. And how then I have to be more careful how I deal with them as I could destroy some potential fruit too.
I am learning that for my garden it is an every day thing, even with the easier no-dig gardening, and for my heart, my spiritual life, it is also an every day thing even though I am as one with Jesus and have the power of the Holy Spirit walking with me. Neither can just be left!
Try eating the ground elder into submission. It can be eaten when small either raw or added as a substitute for spinach, it's actually quite tasty but not recommended for leaving in the ground as a vegetable. I am sure there is a lesson in that somewhere of what we can do with some of the weeds in our lives :D
ReplyDeleteSeems like your garden is being very productive. And yes Joanna, I guess that even weeds can work together for our good. I find it difficult, however, to think of them as much a part of God's creation and so as important to God as that which we cultivate. Or is it that the things that are not so good for our garden (life) will appear and thrive anywhere and everywhere and harder to contend with.
ReplyDeleteI think weeds are things that we need to learn to deal with and contend with so we get fruit and I do think God has the weeds so we can see the joy of the fruit. But also we need to cultivate the fruit as actually even the loveliest of veggies do just turn to seed if we don't keep them in check.
ReplyDeleteYou can see why God has a thing about gardens and started mankind off in one.