June 3, 2008

  • Here is something interesting for you gardeners out there....  Have you ever heard of lasagna gardening?  What is it?  Here's your answer: 


    Think of lasagna and the layers needed to make it. Now think of a compost pile and the layers of green and brown materials used to make it. Lasagna gardening uses the same principles — but directly in the garden right on top of the soil! This means there's no digging and no rototilling. And the best part is that it really improves the quality of the soil and encourages beneficial microbes, bacteria, fungi, and other life in the soil.


    Lasagna gardening starts with a layer of brown corrugated cardboard or newspaper laid right on top of the soil. The additional layers are alternating "brown" and "green" materials. "Green" might consist of grass clippings, kitchen scraps (vegetables and fruits), manure etc. "Brown" includes autumn leaves, shredded newspaper, dried debris etc. These are piled and layered to the height of about two feet and then allowed to decompose and break down. By season's end your "lasagna" will be transformed into a rich, crumbly soil loaded with life.


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    I thought that was interesting....


    In other news, my father was here this weekend...hmm, what to say about that.  Well let's see, first, this is the first time he has been here in 14 years, and before that, I had not seen him in 30 years, so suffice it to say that we have an interesting relationship.  The weekend was better than I expected, but it definitely confirmed in my mind that people will never live up to your childish hopes and dreams... but they will live down to our adult frustrations. I found myself split in two pieces--the child who had unresolved feelings and wanted her Dad to make up for not being around, and the cynical adult who had no, or low expectations.  Anyway, suffice it to say that one side was left empty and wanting more, and one side was not surprised.  But that's okay....  It was a good visit.


    peace....


     

Comments (4)

  • THANKS !  I'll never eat lasagna again without a queasy stomach....  And yeah the "adult disfunctional relative" thing is always fun...

  • I wonder if anyone, anywhere has a family without one of those disappointing relatives. The closer the relative, the deeper the pain.

    I wonder what it means by "at season's end." Which season? I don't have a garden I could try it in at present anyway, but it does sound interesting. Not terribly appetizing, though--got to agree with the Rev Jeffrey there!

    Glad you were blessed by my post. I think we all need to know sometimes that other people are struggling with this stuff as much as we are.

    Hugs

  • I would guess that you do this in the Fall/Winter so that it is ready for planting in the Spring--seems logical to me...

  • I hear you completely on the whole disappointing parents thing.  While I don't have the same situation, there came a point in my life where I could not have my father in my life.  I was not a strong enough person to handle his downfalls, and so I had to do the next best thing to keep me emotionally and mentally healthy, get him out of my life.  After several years, I realized that I needed to have him there, even if it was just on my own terms, I needed to have my father in my life.  For some reason God gave him to me, so I have to be faithful to that responsibilty.  While working to rebuild that relationship...and it was really, really hard...I began to realize that my dad will never be able to love me as a father should love his daughter...but my dad does love me.  I know he does...it's just not to the level that I expect.  Sadly, in order for me to be satisfied in our relationship, I had to lower my expectations to something that I know he can meet.  It's done wonders for us, because now I can be content in who he is...but yeah, I still have struggles and heartache.  God can forgive and forget, but for some reason He allows us to remember even as we forgive...I am looking forward to the day when we can forgive and forget just as God can and the wounds can never be reopened - whether by the other person or by ourselves.  :)

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