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Angels in My Garden Week 17 Vining Plants April 25, 2010
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If
not ignored, nature will cultivate in the gardener a sense of
well-being and peace.The gardener may find deeper meaning in life by paying attention to the parables of the garden. Nature teaches quiet lessons to the gardener who chooses to live within the paradigm of the garden. - Norman H. Hansen, The Worth of Gardening Hello Fellow Gardeners, Your spring garden should be about complete by now? If you haven't already planted your lettuce and parsley you can do it now. Your broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage seedlings should be thriving in the garden. The radish, beet, spinach, onion and carrot seeds that you planted several weeks ago have probably sprouted and, if you planted peas, they are most likely starting to need some support. Even if you haven't planted peas but you're planning to plant tomatoes, cucumbers or pole beans, you will need to know how to support them. There are a variety of ways to keep your vining plants in a vertical position. What kind of support they will need depends on the weight of the vegetable or “fruit.” By the way, when the edible part of the plant has the seeds inside of it, botanically speaking, it is a fruit. So tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, even beans are all technically fruits. Just about the time you're done harvesting peas it will be time to plant your beans so you can use the same support system. Bamboo is adequate for peas and beans. But if you are going to plant two different vining plants next to each other, such as beans next to cucumbers or tomatoes, the type of support you choose should accommodate both types of plants. Strong garden netting strung between two well-anchored poles will work well Frames can be made out of water pipe, electrical conduit, metal fence posts or even 2 x 4's. You can also buy some very attractive trellises for a reasonable price at the gardening centers. Again, make sure they are sturdy and well anchored. A strong wind storm can blow over the support system and make a mess of your garden. Many people use the specially designed tomato cages to support their tomato plants. They can also be used for other types of vining plants but we have found them inadequate to support a fully grown biodynamic tomato plant. Vertical gardening has a lot of benefits. You don't have to bend over as much. It's easier to see and, therefore, to harvest what you're growing. And, of course, it takes up a lot less space than growing vining plants on the ground. With a strong enough support system you can grow squash, zucchini and even pumpkins vertically. Here are two excellent articles on vertical gardening (with photos), http://www.texasgardener.com/pastissues/marapr02/verticalgardening.html http://www.reneesgarden.com/articles/vertical_vegetables.html. Reflection: The opening quote speaks of the sense of peace and well-being derived from the garden. One of the few times that my mind allows me to lose track of time and, in a sense, to enter into a different, more peaceful and orderly, world is when I'm working in the garden. I wish such moments of peace for all of you. “Seek ye then the Angel of Peace, Who is as the morning star In the midst of a cloud, As the moon at the full, As a fair olive tree budding forth fruit, And as the sun shining on the temple Of the most High. Peace dwells in the heart of silence: Be still, and know that I am God.”
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