Outrageous Gardens!

[This site was fully operational in less than 24 hours and even faster thanks to my amazing webmistress Michelle Vandepas of Divine Purpose Unleashed and some powerful intending. Although I don't generally promote for profit sites, I can't say enough positive things about this amazing woman. If anyone is still wondering about putting up a website or grumbling about the lack of attention from a current situation, run! fly! to her website and come under the loving spell of Michelle.]

So what’s the “secret?”

The title of this blog may be a bit deceiving to some yet I am quite certain that what we call gardens are simply energetic relationships that manifest through the intention of soil, seeds, water, air and sunlight brought together all in one place.  People at our workshops watch us throw together some newspaper, dried leaves, spoiled hay or grass clippings, some not quite decomposed compost, maybe some pumice stones or even cola cans, toss them into a tire or wading pool or a rectangle of straw bales– VOILA! –they see a garden. I see the Universe. But that’s another blog.

There is a teeny bit more to forming a useful, nutritious and fairly all-purpose, growing medium.  So perhaps the real “secret” is in the way all those items are placed in a growing container or piled on top of a piece of ground. I have a system that I like to use but you can design your own based around the materials you have available in your area and following a basic procedure of layering.

When you have collected all your organic matter together and are ready to put together the growing area, this is what you’ll do:

Stack each of the various layers of material one on top the next after creating a weed barrier of thick layers of newspaper or cardboard.  Next is a base or bottom layer to provide water absorption; next is an aeration (breathing space) layer; then a slow-release organic nutrients layer; and finally a topping of finished compost and topsoil with a dusting of bone meal, rock phosphate or wood ashes, where the seedlings and seeds will get started.

Cross-section of the various layers in straw bale garden.

But wait a minute, you say. Is that all there is to it?  Well, yes and no.  There are some general guidelines about the way each layer works as part of the whole.  What will be a bit different depending on your area, climate, time of year, are the organic materials you will have available.

We’ve gotten so many requests for a handout on this,  that I created a guide with photos and diagrams so folks at workshops would no longer have to scribble furiously on notebooks or the back of envelopes while we demonstrated.  You will be able to order a copy of  The Secret of Outrageous Gardens right here soon [has to wait until after my family reunion.] The document is in PDF form and will be easy to download and very inexpensive.

[Please know that proceeds are used to support the work of several organizations uprooting hunger in various parts of the world. See my Resources page and thanks for helping out.]

Backyard at the Zemach residence.

If you’re still not convinced that thick layers of organic mulch, water harvesting as opposed to irrigation, and a wide diversity of interplanted herbs, edibles and perennials can’t possibly happen in high desert, enjoy these photos taken June 27 at Mary Zemach’s annual permaculture tour of her residence in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Her home was the cover photo for Toby Hemenway’s first edition of Gaia’s Garden, a must-read for anyone feeling the urging to restore their particular section of the planet to health while claiming all the moisture we’re gifted in the form of rain.

Mary Zemach with some very happy horseradish.

Thank you, Miss Mary, for your willingness to share your experience, your wisdom, your wit and joy, and your commitment to the Earth with so many people over the years.

UPCOMING EVENTS:  If you’re in the St. Louis area next week, I’ll be doing a workshop on Bastille Day — July 14th– at Wayside Community Gardens in Normandy, MO,  about outrageous ways to create a garden as well as 3-season gardening. Wayside Gardens is located just north of the city of St. Louis.

Since I’m driving east from Albuquerque and taking my sweet time, I have committed myself to eating only locally produced food hopefully from Farmers Markets and food coops. I’m creating an itinerary around certain locations and days and times the markets are open. It is a challenge since so many markets are open only on Friday or Saturday. I’ll let you know how this challenge unfolds along with pictures wherever I manage to pull over and load up the cooler with local produce.

On Saturday evening, July 25th, I’ll be joining my dear friend Charlie Z better known as Mr. HotLix at KUNM-FM radio here in Albuquerque. While Charlie rolls out the best late night listening music, he and I will be conversing about the current situation in New Mexico regarding food insecurity, hunger, and some easy solutions we can all believe in! Hot Lix is broadcast on Saturdays from 8:30-10:00 pm. See ya on the radio!

[Artwork by Christina Bouajila www.crewnewmexico.com/creativeartist]