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.)