Angels in My Garden Week #3  January 17, 2010

“Laying out grounds may be considered a liberal art, in some sort like poetry and painting.”
                                                                                                         William Wordsworth

Hello Fellow Gardeners,

Are you ready to start laying out your garden?  We call our gardens Sattwic Peace Gardens. “Sattwic” (pronounced sattvic) is the Sanskrit word for “pure.” Sattwic Peace Gardens are closely modeled after Mel Bartholomew’s Square Foot Gardens. The only differences are in the soil mixtures and the fact that we use biodynamic seed and preparations.

Instead of long rows of vegetables and herbs, these gardens are usually four foot square. A garden can consist of one square or many, depending upon the needs of the gardener. It has been demonstrated that this process will produce 4-5 times the amount that can be grown on the same surface using standard gardening methods. The garden is divided into 1' x1' squares, with different vegetables planted in the squares. The number of seeds planted in a given square depends on the nature of the plant. One large cruciferous plant such as broccoli or cauliflower will need an entire square, while sixteen small root vegetables such as radishes can grow in one square. So your garden will look something like this:  In case this doesn't look right on your screen, a word doc is attached.

You will notice that the vining plants (in this case beans and peas) are placed in the northernmost squares. This is so that they will not block the sun from the rest of the garden when they grow tall. They will cast a certain amount of shade on the second row of squares, so shade-tolerant plants go in that row, i.e., lettuce, spinach, chard. The remaining two rows are planted with sun-loving vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, peppers and the root vegetables - which I like to plant in the southern-most row.

So, your assignment for this week is to start designing your garden. Customize it with the spring vegetables of your choice.  Remember that you can plant marigolds in some of the outside squares to ward off those pesky nematodes (certain roundworms) that destroy your plants. Attached is a blank garden plan (What Will I Put in My Garden?) for you to print out and use to start designing your garden. Also attached is  a “Square Foot Gardening Fact Sheet.” We will discuss the features of a square-foot garden in more detail as we proceed with our gardening plans.

Reflection:
As expressed by Wordsworth, laying out a garden is creative work. The Essenes considered creative work to be the most adequate expression of Love, love for eachother, love for the Heavenly Father and for his creation.   And, as expressed in the following passage, “He who has found his work need not ask for any other blessing.”

It is said that the trees went forth on a time
To anoint a king over them;
And they said unto the olive tree,
"Reign thou over us."
But the olive tree said unto them,
"Should I leave my fatness,
Wherewith by me they honor God and man,
And go to be promoted over the trees?"
And the trees said to the fig tree,
"Come thou, and reign over us.
But the fig tree said unto them,
"Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit,
And go to be promoted over the trees?"
Then said the trees unto the vine,
"Come thou, and reign over us.
And the vine said unto them,
"Should I leave my wine,
Which cheereth God and man,
And go to be promoted over the trees?"
The man of the Law who fulfills his tasks
Does not need further blessings.
                                         Essene Gospel of Peace Book 3, page 61

 

Until next week,

 

Peace be with you,

Rose Mirabai Lord

 

www.makegardensnotwar.com

www.theessenechurchofpeace.org

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