How Lasagna Changed My Life

When we moved into our home 3 years ago I met Lois, our neighbor.  Her daddy built the house she lives in (back in the 1950's).  They had a lot of kids (7 or 8 I think) and were country folk moving into the big city.  He created an aqueduct to pull water out of a natural spring at the back of the property and used it to irrigate his "garden" which stretched from the creek to the road (about 1/2 acres worth of land) and included an orchard as well as pecan trees that are now towering giants.

Lois is a wonderful person.  She's also, no surprise, a garden enthusiast.  She's a member of the Nashville Master Gardeners Society and volunteers at the organic gardens for a local historical site: The Hermitage (former home of the late President Andrew Jackson.)  When she asked if I might plant a small garden for my daughter to explore I laughed and quickly said, "no, that's not for me.  I can't keep anything alive and I HATE garden work!" 

You see, I have memories of my own mother's garden seared deep in my heart.  It was not quite a quarter of an acre, in North Texas, and I remember it being the bane of my summers.  The ground was so dry that cracks big enough to loose your whole foot in would open up.  There were no trees and the summer sun would beat down on you mercilessly, sucking the very breath out of your chest as you labored against Bermuda grass, weeds, grasshoppers, fire ants, and red wasps.  She would spend hours behind the tiller and then be laid up in bed for days with back pains from the strain it caused.  I remember her saying, "Someday you will want to do this for your family and you will be glad I made you come out here and help me" and I would shout back, "No way! I WILL NEVER EVER HAVE A GARDEN!!!! That is what produce aisles are for mom."

But Lois was determined to change my mind about what gardening could be like and what she showed me changed my life and has blessed my family beyond belief.  It is a no-till system of gardening that was made popular by a book called "Lasagna Gardening".  The concept is simple: build a frame, kill off the existing grass by laying cardboard and newspapers over it (which also acts as cover and food for earth worms, the heroes of garden work), and then create your own nutrient rich soil by layering ingredients (like a lasagna).  The result is an easy to work in bed with a soil climate you can completely control and best of all, it is grass and weed free! 

Lois helped me build my first one that year and I planted tomatoes in it for my little girl who loves tomatoes.  It was super easy.  We built it in about an hour, planted the plants in it the same day, and they grew like crazy all summer!  I now have a backyard full of raised beds and it is probably my favorite place on the property to spend time.  If you think you might like to try this you can check out my tutorial (once I get it up and posted.) 

Being at home in your own backyard

The quintessential 'backyard' is a sacred space that invokes images of cookouts, playtime, fresh air, and a sense of having your own little slice of this huge planet we share to do with whatever you like.  Sadly, these havens of nature in our hands have for many become a relatively forgotten and unused space.  I hope that I'll be able to inspire some of you to get out there and remember the smell of dirt and to peer down into the grass to look for nature's wonderland beneath our feet.  The backyard is waiting to become your very own paradise.  It's a place to host memories for a lifetime, a place for rest, a place for play, and a place you should love to be! 

If you don't already spend much time in your backyard then the first step would be to go outside and have a look around.  What do you have to work with back there?  Big trees? (hammocks for resting perhaps)  Lots of open sunny space? (prime gardening real estate!)  A creek perhaps? (lucky you, your own private water supply and wildlife habitat!)  Poison ivy maybe? (let's hope not!)  Think about how you would like your backyard to function.  Do you have kids and need a safe and intriguing place for them to play and explore their world?  Are you single and interested in entertaining?  Newly married and hoping to enjoy some romantic dinners outside late this summer and early fall? 

Once you answer some of these questions you can begin to form a vision for what your backyard can be like.  If it is full of debris start by clearing all that away - it is always best to have a clean slate.  Then designate zones for the space such as: play, pet, gardening, and rest/relaxation.  Soon you'll start to see what can and will be in each of these areas when you look out the window.  Be patient and unafraid to spend some of your free time doing some manual labor to invest in your haven.  Nothing worth having comes without effort you know.  Sketch up your plan and tape it to the refrigerator so that you see it often.  Don't try to tackle it all at once would be my best advice, along with not underestimating the power of you!  Dream big and enjoy the adventure of getting to know your yard.