Embracing Kingdom Hope for a Broken World
Posts tagged Gardening
Personal Garden
May 19th
Green Adventures: a series in which we invite you into the adventures from our journey.
With the arrival of spring we planted our home garden a little while back. Whereas last year we simply grew tomatoes at home, we decided to be more adventurous this year. We planted 14 different types of plants and are considering finding space to add even more. While I mostly planted from seed in my garden for the community, at home we planted seedlings instead (for a few unimportant reasons). The incredible thing is that we are already beginning to enjoy the produce from some our plants.
In the past a lack of available space has held us back, but this season we got creative. Most everything is planted in pots, with a couple things in the ground and a couple tomatoes in those upside down, hanging plant things. Surprisingly, this has worked out quite well for us. All of the plants have done well with the exception of the onions which are barely hanging on. A few of the plants seemed to be in shock after transplanting them, but have recovered nicely.
Here is what we are growing:
- Tomatoes (Roma, Cherry, Champion)
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Rosemary
- Peppermint
- Apple mint
- Bush beans
- Strawberries
- Yellow Bell Peppers
- Red Bell Peppers
- Squash
- Onions
- Chives
- Blueberries
Our garden has not been without some troubles. I have already found a few green worms eating up our plants. We had a couple monsters last year that nearly devoured our tomato plants. Fortunately my eyes are a little better trained, and I have been able to catch them quickly this year (so far). Our problems have not ended there, however. The leaves of several plants, especially the bush beans, are still being eaten by some tiny, black, flying bugs. I am not sure what they are, but they like to hang around on the underside of the leaves and snack away. A round of organic bug spray has killed a good chunk of them, but more have come since. So far the level is tolerable, but I don’t like to have them either way. Suggestions? Finally, some animal has nibbled on a couple of our strawberries. There is a chance it is our dog, but more likely it is the birds that hang out in our yard. I could pick up or manufacture a net to cover them, but I will probably wait until they actually take the fruit or do some real damage.
These past couple years I have really rediscovered the joy of gardening. I love the connection with God’s creation and I believe that there is actually something deeply spiritual about gardening (I will make my case for this in a future post). I also enjoy the connection with the food. In a world where we have been so far removed from the food that we eat, it is great to know where your food comes from, what chemicals have (not) been used on it, and to have the pleasure of raising it yourself.
Gardening has also been a wonderful way to spend time with my daughter. She really enjoys helping me water the plants. She has actually gotten pretty good at it (she used to enjoy watering the bricks and the cement as much as the plants). I appreciate this both as a way to get quality time with her as well as to decompress for a few minutes after work. Also, she gets incredibly excited when we are able to pick ripe produce (especially the strawberries). It has been a bit of a challenge teaching her about fruit being ripe, but she has figured it out now. Of course, she does like to pick a basil leaf off now and then for no good reason. She will take a bite of it, realize it’s not so good plain, and spit it out. But we have come a long way from just ripping of produce or leaves for no reason. Gardening as a family has been a great bonding time that I really treasure.
I will continue to update you about the ups and downs of our gardening journey as we go forward. For now, I would love to hear more about your own experience.
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Tip #9 Lawn Care
Apr 12th
Green Living: a series in which we provide tips to help you implement practices, habits, and products into your life which respect and work towards the redemption of God’s creation.
Did you know that the standard, gas-powered lawn mower is less efficient than your typical car? In fact, these lawn mowers are known for their inefficiency and are a major contributing factor in our country’s pollution. But if you happen to own a home with a lawn, what can you do? Fortunately their are several viable alternatives that will still allow you to have that aesthetic yard you always dreamed of.
Electric mower
First off, the electric mower. Why is this a better alternative? Well, first and foremost they do not produce any emissions. You can mow to your heart’s content without worrying about your impact. Well, except for one thing. If you trace the electricity back to its source, you may still be using dirty energy from a polluting power plant. If your power provider is burning dirty coal for example, you are still be polluting the air, just further down the chain. A better way would be to charge it from a clean energy source such as solar panels on your roof. Another advantage of these electric mowers is that they are quiet. Cutting down on the noise pollution might not have tangible results but it would certainly be appreciated by your neighbors. Trust me. We live in a neighborhood where it seems someone is mowing, blowing, or trimming hedges every day of the week. It would be nice to cut down on the noise.
Push mower:
A better alternative to both the gas and electric mowers is the good, old push mower. Also known as a reel mower, the push mower truly has zero-emissions because it is powered by you. Not only are you stripping away all noise pollution but you are getting some decent exercise at the same time. Here is what I would find to be the greatest advantage: you don’t have to do any thinking ahead. Let me explain. Almost every time I go to use my electric drill the battery is not charged and I have the frustrating experience of waiting impatiently for it to charge up just enough to do the job. The electric mower has to be charged ahead of time, and you need to fill up a gas can before using the gas mower. For the push mower you just need to grab a quick snack. Oh, and did I mention that they are way cheaper.
No-mow grass:
While it might seem that it doesn’t get any better than the push mower, there is actually an even greener solution: a yard that requires no mowing at all. Just think of the potential here. No cost for a mower. No pollution. No pushing. No time invested.
How can this be you ask? Well, by growing native grasses. There are a variety of grasses that are native to your area that are much better acclimated to the local climate. These grasses often need little to no mowing over the course of a year. Additionally, they often do not need any pesticides and require less water. You can also choose drought-resistant grasses to ensure that you are not wasting excess, high quality, drinking water (which is used to water our lawns).
Check with a local expert for the option that would be best for you.
No lawn at all:
A final option is not to have any lawn at all. I know this does not go over well in some communities, but there are lawn-less options that are still pleasing to the eye. Possibilities include a rock garden, cactus, and (my personal favorite) vegetable gardens. Why not ask your landscape to work for you? Instead of trees that just look nice, put in fruit trees (which also happen to look nice by the way). Instead of bushes, why not blueberries and tomato plants? Instead of a lawn, why not put in some nice raised beds. While you will still have higher water consumption this way, you will eliminate the resources that it would otherwise take to produce and ship your food. And again, no mowing or noise pollution.
Going a step further
Want to take this a step further? Here are a couple more ideas for you:
- Share a mower: if you must have a mower, why not share one? Most only use their mower once a week. Why not split the cost of one (preferably a low-emissions option) with a few neighbors? Not only does it save you money, but it requires less resources that way.
- Use a broom or rake: gas-powered blowers rival lawn mowers for the inefficiency crown. All you really get out of it is displaced yard waste. Unintended consequences include high emissions, noise pollution, and things blown around that you did not want moved. Try using a rake or a broom to get some exercise and better care for creation.
- Use organic fertilizer: Whether working with a traditional lawn, a vegetable garden, or some other option, go with the organic option to improve the soil. Protect your family’s health by opting for no chemicals.
Also consider:
Green Living: #3 Sharing in Community
* Electric mower image from http://www.homedepot.com/Outdoors-Lawn-Mowers-Riding-Mowers-Walk-Behind-Mowers-Electric-Battery-Powered-Mowers/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xhcZbbot/R-202045619/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053
* Push mower image from http://www.homedepot.com/Outdoors-Lawn-Mowers-Riding-Mowers-Reel-Mowers/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xhcZboay/R-100329907/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053
* No-mow grass image from http://www.sunset.com/garden/garden-basics/plant-no-mow-lawn-00400000029555/
* No lawn image from http://www.sunset.com/garden/landscaping-design/raised-bed-vegetables-00400000020697/
Eco Theology: To Serve and Protect
Feb 19th
Eco Theology: a series which explores the theology of creation care in bite-size chunks
To Serve and Protect
If there’s one thing you learn when you study other languages in depth, it’s that translations do not fully capture what was originally said. Translation is not mathematics. There is not a 1 to 1 relationship between the meanings of most words. For example, if my bilingual daughter uses the word “guardar” I might translate it as “keep” when I tell my wife. But that might leave out much of the original meaning of the word which can also be "guard, watch over, put away, save, observe, bear, protect." You see, when separated from the original language, the event, and the cultural and linguistic context, we face many challenges in understanding what was meant. This is why computers, as smart as they are, still have so much trouble translating from one language to another. Likewise, that is why we often have such trouble understanding what the Bible says or why we misunderstand certain things when relying only on the translation of it.
This is the case with some key creation care scriptures. When read out of context or without an informed understanding of the original text, we can miss the meaning. So, today we will look at one of those passages in depth to better understand its meaning and our theology.
The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.
Genesis 2:15
It is unfortunate that this verse has often been translated inadequately and that the deeper meaning does not come through in the English translations. As such, this verse is often skipped over as the language merely appears to apply to gardening. If I understand it only as tilling the earth (in an agricultural sense), I can think that Adam was a farmer and I am not. So I might think that this verse does not apply to me. However, a look at the original language reveals there is a much deeper meaning behind this scripture. The Hebrew word here translated as “till” is abad. The basic meaning of this word is “to serve,” which implies a very different relationship.
Also, the word translated as “keep” is shamar. While this is not a bad translation is does not capture the fuller sense of the word which includes the ideas of: guarding, watching over, protecting, taking care of, preserving, and devoting oneself to. This implies a much more caring relationship. Calvin DeWitt says, “God calls us to give the garden of creation our caring service.” God has placed man and creation in a symbiotic relationship. Man is not simply told to use creation for his own benefit, but is to devote himself to the care and preservation of creation.
Furthermore, this helps me to better understand Genesis 1:28 in which God tells mankind that they should subdue the earth and have dominion over living things. We often think of this dominion as dominating. But what we see here is more of a servant leadership. Additionally, in Genesis 1 we see God using “sovereign power in a way that shares life and life-giving power, and human beings are in a position to master creatures in an appropriate way because they share these characteristics” (From John Goldingay’s Old Testament Theology). If our great God, the Creator, uses His power in this way and we are made in His image, how do you suppose we ought to use our power? Mankind’s use of authority should not inhibit and damage creation but free and develop it so that it may flourish.
In my personal journey, understanding this difference is where things really began to change. No longer did I have this mentality that I should dominate the earth for my own selfish purposes. Rather, I realized that we have been called into a caring, protecting, symbiotic relationship with God’s creation. What a difference!
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