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Home , History of gardening

A Christ-Centered

A quick glance at the history of in the United States reveals the vital role of the home garden as a means of achieving household security and economic independence. As the United States moved from an agrarian to an industrialized society in the 19th century, the apothecary’s garden of Plymouth, Abigail Adams’ domain during the Revolutionary War, and the Victory of WW I and WW II were forgotten much to our national detriment. On a personal level, as we distanced ourselves from nature, we simultaneously and unwittingly distanced ourselves from nature’s God. It is my desire through this document to encourage a return to personal responsibility for our food sources and a renewed focus on the of our souls.

A garden is ever particular to the people it serves and its location. This garden supports a family of 6 and produces spare to share with friends, family, and the needy. As it is located on the tundra of the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska, it has one major advantage and several disadvantages. While this land boasts magnificent-sized vegetables due to excessively long summer days, variety of produce and seed saving are limited by a short 3 month growing season. Furthermore, the long dark winter months and generally cold climate prevent the success of most perennial food (such as grains, asparagus, , artichokes, fruit and nut trees) and most perennial flowers. Thankfully, there are often wild substitutes for these such as cranberries, blueberries, salmonberries, strawberries, yarrow, stinging nettle, chamomile, wild rose, and others. Finally, electricity and running water are often lacking in this community. So, it is not unusual to have difficulty heating a to extend the growing season, and watering becomes either a time and energy consuming necessary evil or an opportunity to exercise ingenuity.

The following chart indicates the type, estimated pounds of produce, and the number of needed for this garden. The total estimated harvest is 1,275 lbs. of fruits and vegetables with an estimated dollar value of $5,120.00 (based on current local u-pick farm produce prices). Since this region is limited to one short growing season, produce will be eaten fresh during the summer and fall months and preserved for use in winter and spring.

Type Estimated Harvest Number of Plants Basil 3 lbs. 6 Purple Podded Pole Beans 90 lbs. 120 Early Wonder Beets 21 lbs. 84 Waltham Broccoli 48 lbs. 32 Red Rubine Brussels 36 lbs. 32 Glory of Enkhuizen Cabbage 90 40 Cosmic Purple Carrots Uzbek Golden Carrot Danvers Half Long Carrot 60 lbs. total 72 Durgesh 41 Cauliflower 54 lbs. 36 Utah Tall Celery 24 lbs. 60 Chinese Giant Leaf Mustard 12 lbs. 12 Early Fortune Cucumber 48 lbs. 20 Thousand Head Kale 6 lbs. 6 Blauer Speck Kohlrabi 9 lbs. 24 Parris Island Cos Lettuce Forellenschluss Lettuce Solar Flare Lettuce 15 lbs. total 30 Aylsa Craig Onions 48 lbs. 50 Harris Model Parsnips 18 lbs. 54 King Tut Purple Pea 18 lbs. 135 Yukon Gold Potatoes 150 lbs. 150 Japanese Minowase Daikon Radish 12 lbs. 90 Red Rhubarb 24 lbs. 72 Rutabaga 9 lbs. 16 Martino’s Roma Tomato 144 lbs. 58 Raspberries 20 lbs. 75 Currants 20 lbs. 3 Gooseberries 15 lbs. 8 Apples (William’s Pride and Zestar) 300 lbs. 9 Leaf Lettuce Basil 3 lbs. 6 Slo-bolt Cilantro 1.5 lbs. 5 Bouquet Dill 1.5 lbs. 3 Florence Fennel 6 lbs. 7 Garlic 6 lbs. 48 Giant of Parsley 1.5 lbs. 8 Broad Leaf Sage 1.5 lbs. 8 Wild Zaatar Oregano 1.5 lbs. 8 Wild Thyme 1.5 lbs. 8 Zucchini 15 lbs. 6

The following chart indicates the estimated plant dates, transplant dates (if not direct sown), and harvest dates. (Fruits must be established in spring and then are not harvested until they reach maturity, usually several years afterward.)

Plant Plant Date Transplant Date Harvest Date Basil 4/4 6/1 All summer Beans 5/16 6/1 All summer Beets 5/2 6/1 8/29 Broccoli 5/2 6/1 8/29 Brussels 5/2 6/1 9/26 Cabbage 5/2 6/1 8/29 Carrots 5/16 NA 9/26 Cauliflower 5/2 6/1 8/29 Celery 5/2 6/1 All summer Mustard 5/16 6/1 All summer Cucumber 5/16 6/1 All summer Kale 5/16 6/1 All summer Kohlrabi 5/16 6/1 8/29 Lettuce 5/2 6/1 All summer Onions 3/28 (sets) 6/1 8/29 Parsnips 5/16 NA 9/26 Peas 5/16 NA All summer Potatoes 5/16 (sets) NA 9/26 Radishes 5/2 6/1 All summer Rhubarb 6/1 NA June-July Rutabaga 5/2 6/1 8/29 Raspberries 6/1 NA July-August Tomatoes 3/1 6/1 8/29 Currants 6/1 NA July-August Gooseberries 6/1 NA July-August Apples 6/1 NA September Herbs 4/4 6/1 All summer

All seeds are purchased from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. Onion starts are obtained from Dixondale Farms. Neighbors thinning their patches always have an abundance of rhubarb and raspberries. Potatoes are grown from last year’s leftovers or are purchased as seed from the local feed store. Apples, currants, and gooseberries are purchased from O’Brien Garden and Trees in Nikiski, AK, and roses and lilacs (noted in drawing) are obtained from Jackson Gardens in Soldotna, AK. The first order of business each spring is the greenhouse, a nursery that must be established and tended with all the tender affection and care of those with young. Each spring, before introducing any new living thing (including soil) into the greenhouse, it must be swept clean of all debris from top to bottom. (A power washer works great for this if you have power and water!) This is followed by a thorough spraying of a bleach and water solution using a hand pump sprayer (in a 1 cup to 5 gal. ratio). All pots and utensils must also be sanitized in like manner. Solar fans and an automatic heat-triggered vent must be installed before use (available on Amazon). A non-electric fuel oil stove is used to heat the greenhouse as needed for germination in spring (must be kept about 50 deg. F) and vine ripening in fall. Two 55 gal. black trash barrels warm water in the greenhouse for daily watering needs and for regulating air temperature. Once preparations are made, seeds can be planted. While the seedlings are maturing in the nursery, great effort must be focused on the garden itself. The most productive outdoor gardens in this cold climate are planted in raised beds in order to take advantage of the extra thermal energy of early spring. Raised beds made of cinder block are virtually indestructible and flex nicely with the many earthquakes of this region. Additionally, they are a great deterrent to slugs, and you have the option of planting a beautiful edging of flowers in the blocks themselves. Each bed is lined with Typar to prevent weed growth. In order that the gardener can reach to the center from either side, each bed is built no more than 4 ft. across and to the desired length. The soil in this region is poor, requiring many amendments. Each raised bed or new patch of ground must be filled or amended with an 80/20 ratio of mixed soil (clay, peat, and sand) to . Prior to planting, lightly dust each bed with agricultural lime (do not lime potato bed), bone meal, and worm castings. Mix them into the top 6 inches of soil. Once the beds and ground plots are developed, fencing must be installed before anything can be planted outdoors. T-posts (6-8 ft.) must be driven in at 8-10 ft. intervals. Care must be taken to string the electric line (allowing for a gate) so that if one strand breaks, the other four maintain a charge. One bear or moose can reek havoc in a short amount of time. An ounce of prevention is definitely worth a pound of cure in this instance. Mount a solar charger according to directions. Rolled fencing must also be mounted as support for peas, beans, and cucumbers in the greenhouse and the outdoor garden. Covering transplanted seedlings with row cover is another protective measure that deters both large and small pests while simultaneously warming the soil. Bear, moose, and birds are frightened by it, and the root maggot fly cannot penetrate it. The well pump is located at the highest corner of the garden. Daily, water is pumped to an elevated black 500 gal. cistern at the top of the garden. After it warms, it can be gravity fed tby hoses reaching throughout the garden to water as needed. is best maintained by lining raised beds with Typar and by using Typar as weed barrier on top of the ground under trees and shrubs. A 4 in. layer of spruce chips (made on site) on top of the Typar increases moisture retention and protects the Typar from sun damage. Weeding by hand in garden beds should be faithfully done once per month from May through September. In the words of some famous gardener somewhere, “Weed it and reap!” Once the garden is planted, recycled paper bags are laid between the rows of the ground beds and a heavy layer of straw is placed on top for mulch. Establishing a garden this size in this location is an easy month-long effort with “all hands on deck.” While daily maintenance is little more than watering, harvesting and processing is another month-long venture. Materials are all purchased locally. Potting soil and seeding pots can be purchased at any local greenhouse or Trustworthy Hardware. Cinder blocks, Typar, and row cover are available at Spenard Builder Supply. Mixed soil is purchased by the trailer or truck load from Stuart Northam in Sterling and soil amendments are available at the local feed store. Fencing materials and watering supplies are cheapest at Home Depot. While the physical details of a garden are important, the motive behind the gardening is the real heart of the operation. From my youth, my parents lived and taught us according to the counsel of I Corinthians 3:23-24 that says, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” My Lord Jesus has so relentlessly pursued and so thoroughly captured my rebel soul that I cherish being His bond slave! He turns even my work into worship and gives joy in service! The first and greatest Gardener created and tended His garden with such care, forethought, and attention to detail, that when I attempt to imitate Him I am challenged to do the same. One way I seek to cultivate a Christian testimony through gardening is by using heirloom seeds. According to Leviticus 19:19, God forbade the Israelites to sow their fields with “mingled seed”. For any people group, the ability to save seed and have it reproduce after its own kind (which is impossible with hybrids) is a matter of national security. In doing so, I am also rejecting GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) seeds and the illogic that says, “to promote food fertility, we kill.” (Yale Reflections: A Magazine of Theological and Ethical Inquiry from Yale Divinity School, “God the Gardener” by Norman Wirzba, Issue Year 2014) The use of GMOs is, on the one hand, an attempt to “subdue the earth” as we are commanded in Genesis 1:28. However, it is clearly poor stewardship to prevent weeds, pests, and disease at such great cost of human disease, pollinator death, and pollution. The cure becomes worse than the disease. I also reject the use of chemical fertilizers, , and for the same reason. According to Leviticus 25:3-4, the Lord commanded the Israelites to give their land a “sabboth rest” every 7 years. While this is a consistent pattern of work and rest given at creation, it is extended here to the land. Experience has shown that we ignore this principle to our detriment. An unrested land becomes depleted of nutrients and unproductive. It literally kills the soil to overwork it. I choose to implement this principle of “sabboth rest” using yearly rotation and soil amendments to avoid overworked soil and pest infestation. This garden distinctly reflects God as owner in that it is wholly dependent on Him and dedicated to His use. It is prayerfully planned, tended, and harvested for His glory. Not only in success, but also in failure and loss, His sovereignty is praised. Muriel Strode, in her Wind-Wafted Wild Flowers of 1903, shared this sentiment, “His to rejoice with exceeding great joy who plucks the fruit of his planting, but his the divine anointing who watched, and waited, and toiled, and prayed, --- and failed,--- and can yet be glad.” To evidence His ownership to visitors, Scripture is scattered throughout the garden and greenhouse on various plaques. For truly, “gardens are a form of autobiography,” and when one views my garden, I would have him see my Lord in all of His creative beauty and provision. (Sydney Eddision, Magazine, Aug/Sept 1993) Most naturally, this garden utilizes and elevates the wise gifts of our Creator. Soil, teeming with microbiotic life, nourishes the plants. Gravity draws solar-heated water to the various beds. Solar energy runs the vents and fans in the greenhouse. Worms digest and aerate the compost, turning dead dry refuse into rich moist living soil. And above all, in the midst of and benefiting from these many gifts, labors the gardener who is but “soil animated by God’s breath.” (Yale Reflections: A Magazine of Theological and Ethical Inquiry from Yale Divinity School, “God the Gardener” by Norman Wirzba, Issue Year 2014) A garden alone is a thing of beauty, but its beauty is magnified when it is shared. By planting a larger than needed garden, I allow myself the blessing of loving my neighbor in two ways. First, and more simply, I have enough to share. Secondly, and more importantly, I can use the garden as a teaching tool. So many today in the wake of this pandemic are looking once again at the land as a means of food security. I can only give away a limited amount of produce, but if I can teach others how to grow it themselves I have empowered them with a life skill and simultaneously opened the door to present Christ through the beautiful venue of a garden. Truly, “food is not [merely] a commodity – it is God’s love and delight made delectable.” (Yale Reflections: A Magazine of Theological and Ethical Inquiry from Yale Divinity School, “God the Gardener” by Norman Wizba, Issue Year 2014) Indeed, there is an abundance of pictures of Christ and His beloved throughout a garden. In a seed I see one chosen to bloom or produce at a certain time for a specific purpose. But first it must be soaked to soften the hard shell. It is then covered with rich soil comprised of nutrients gained from the decomposition of some fairly unpleasant sources, mainly food scraps and manure. Can you see yourself, little seed? Chosen by the sovereign Gardener for a specific time and duty, soaked and softened by the water of the Holy Spirit, then seemingly buried in darkness beneath a blanket of soil and compost. What? This doesn’t sound pleasant! And yet what man or woman chosen by God has not had to endure the “perfect gifts” of God spoken of in James 1:17? We readily recognize the sun and water as “good gifts,” but decomposing goat manure? Rotting salmon carcasses? Rabbit pellet tea? Worm castings? Isn’t there a more neat and tidy way of growing things? Just as surely as I say there is beauty to be had through death and burial in a physical garden, Paul says in Romans 6:4 that “we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection.” And, wonder of wonders, from one tiny chosen softened buried seed comes myriads of offspring! Glory! Can you capture that vision of what God can do with one seed? With one regenerated soul? But our dear Gardener does not stop there. He gently nourishes the new lives with the utmost care and tenderness until they are ready to “transplant” into the world and bear fruit. Parents often get to participate in this transplant process as our children prepare to go out from the “nursery” environment of a godly home into the heat and tempest of the world. It must be done gradually to prevent scorching and breakage. Sometime, separation of seedlings is necessary to allow for proper growth. So also, with our young people and maturing believers, separation often promotes growth. Once these young ones are able to handle the elements, they are gently transplanted into – you guessed it – more “composted soil”…more trials, more groanings, more growing. Yet they are never alone! The Gardener of our souls not only tends them Himself, but also plants them in such a fashion that each “plant” meets the needs of its neighbor. In a physical garden utilizing the method, peas might be planted with turnips and both might be surrounded by basil. The peas would fix nitrogen for the turnips while the basil deterred pesky pea- loving thrips. In Christ’s garden, we are “planted” so that our strengths and weaknesses compliment each other for God’s glory. As we grow spiritually, our proverbial garden is weeded, pruned, thinned, fenced, fertilized, supported, and watered by the Lover of our souls until we bear beautiful fruit for His glory. It is time for a return to the land, not only for our physical sustenance, but also for the attention it naturally draws to the Creator and Sustainer of all life. The garden presented in this document is planted in a very challenging region. It takes extra effort to succeed due to location, climate, larger- than-life pests, earthquakes, and a lack of common utilities. Likewise, we are often planted in difficult places. The harvest might be smaller and harder won, but by God’s grace, this does not diminish the value! Whatsoever ye do…wherever you are planted, with whatever skills, and for whatever purpose you were created…do it all for the glory of God! He is worthy!